Finnick's Lament
by Lamecadaver
Summary: Finnick's journey That takes place in the 65th hunger games, read to find out how he met Annie Cresta, who his Allies are in the Arena, and how he survives it. In catching fire, we get a little bit of info how he and his trusty trident won the games, leaving out all the juicy details. Haven't you ever wondered what it's like to be the youngest victor ever? *There will be a sequel*
1. Chapter 1: The Reaping

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 1: The reaping.**

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I wake up with a stiff neck and sore eyes. The night before I fell asleep on the beach, propped up on some rocks. That's not something I do all the time, but I felt like a caged animal in my bedroom, and later found myself escaping through the window and before I knew it, my feet had carried me to the beach. I had been up all night anxious. I knew I wasn't the only anxious one though. Who wouldn't be the night before the reaping?

I groan as I sit up straighter. It was about dawn now, I wondered how many hours I had been sitting up against this rock looking up at the stars. No doubt I had dark circles, not that I cared much. I could hear the waves crashing over one another close by. Once I stand, I stretch with another groan. I really didn't want to leave from my spot on the rock, But I had to go get ready for the reaping, not to mention my mother will probably notice I'm missing soon, I am fourteen after all...But, I had to visit someone first.

After a while, I walk myself to my closest friend Annie's house. We've been friends since we were children. We met in the ocean. She was being drowned by a boy in her grade. I Don't think he was trying to actually drown her, just scare her. She was a good swimmer, but when your face is held down in the water by someone much stronger than you, there isn't much you can do about it. I was catching some fish with my trident near by, and saved her from him. Let's just say, after that, The boy was terrified of me, And her and I were best friends ever since.

I grabbed a fishing pole that I had left in her backyard the day before, and climb up a tree that was outside her window. I peer into her window, to make sure she was the only one in her room, I pause for just a moment to watch her admirably. She was so beautiful. I didn't always love Annie Cresta...She just kinda crept up on me.

I see her sitting at her vanity, brushing her light brown hair with a brush, I wished the window was open so I could hear her humming like she usually did when doing tasks like brushing her hair or weaving a fishing net. I take a sea foam green ribbon I had bought for her yesterday in town, and tie it to the end of the fishing pole, before tapping lightly three times on her window to catch her attention. She turns her head, and gives me a small sad smile, which causes me to do the same, as she approaches the window.

"Hey. Look what I caught this morning." I say, reeling the fishing pole so the end lands on her window seal. She smiled a bit, untying it from the fishing string. "Thank you, it's beautiful." I reel it back in quickly, then set the fishing pole down on a branch, and climb through her window once she opens it. "Your dad home?" I asked and she nodded.

"He's drunk. Again. I don't even think he knows what day it is." She said with a shaky sigh. I nodded lightly, knowing that in a few hours or so, peacekeepers will be knocking on their door, to make sure everyone is present for the reaping, if he doesn't wake up.

"Don't worry, he'll wake up by then, if he knows what's good for him." I comment, knowing that she didn't want the duty of waking him up. I'd do it for her, if he didn't hate me so much. I open my arms, and she leans against me. I wrap both my arms around her in a long embrace. "It'll be okay." I tell her. Since I'm 14, and she's only 13, This will be my third reaping, and her second. Neither of us have been chosen so far, but My name will be in four times, and hers will only be in twice.

"Finnick, I have this feeling that things aren't gonna go well this year…" She mumbled, looking up at me with her sea green eyes. I sighed lightly. She could be right, but I knew she needed to hear otherwise from me.

"Don't worry so much. We are in a career district you know. Even if one of us does get picked, I'm sure someone will volunteer." I say in my most confident voice I can manage right now. She nodded, spacing out a bit.

"I suppose you're right…" she mumbled lightly. I hoped she didn't see through my reassurances. While we were a career district, we didn't always have volunteers, in fact it was almost rare. Not as rare as in the poorer districts though.

She sighed and pulled away from the hug, going over to her vanity to brush her hair again. She did so without a smile on her face. I'd give almost anything right now to see her smile. I see her hand shaking slightly. I notice this, and I walk up behind her and take her brush, and start brushing her hair for her. I run the bristles through her brown waves.

"I know this day is always scary. But you just gotta trust me, that it'll be okay." I say, running the brush through her hair a few more times.

"But-" She protests but I cut her off.

"Annie, do you trust me?" I ask, and the memory of taking her out in a boat the first time flashes through my eyes. I asked her if she trusted me, she hesitantly nodded at me. We both had so much fun on the boat that day. I snap out of the memory when I see her crack a light smile. That was what I needed to see, to get me through the day. That lovely smile of hers. She nodded.

"Okay, then trust me that everything will be okay." I said, promising her something that I had no control over, no business promising. She stood up from her chair and hugged me.

"Okay. If you say so." She said hesitantly, again, reminding me of that day, she was seven and I was eight and she was hesitant to go into the water again. Some people never change. I kiss her forehead when we pull away from the hug. Annie and I weren't in a relationship, but we knew we loved each other. Neither of us are sure exactly when we decided we liked each other. We had never talked about being in a relationship much either, but we always knew we had each other to lean on though.

"I gotta go get ready, or my mom will freak if she goes to my room and I'm not there." I say, looking at the things on her vanity, mostly things that had once belonged to her mother. She nodded.

"Okay...see you at the reaping." I head for the window, and sit on the edge.

"Oh, and Annie?" I ask and she looks at me. "It will be okay, I promise." I tell her before disappearing in the window.

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I sneak back through my window and take my shirt off, tossing it to the ground, and hop into my still made bed, just minutes before my mother knocks on my door and enters my room, making it appear as though I had been there all night.

"Finn honey, wake up." She said. And I open my eyes and fake a yawn. This wasn't the first time I had snuck out of the house in the dead of night, by this time I was a pro, that, or my mother noticed, but never cared mention it, nor to punish me for sneaking out. I open my eyes, and my eyes are so tired, it probably looks like I was actually sleeping just now. I rub my eyes as I sit up with the covers still on half of my body.

"What time is it?" I ask, and she tells me. I roll out of bed and see what outfit she picked out for me. Since I am now 14, I usually picked my own outfits, but since it's reaping day, I let my mother pick out something nice. We always dressed nicely on reaping day in case we get picked, which meant we would be on television. I'm wearing an ordinary button down shirt, that's a nice shade of blue that once belonged to my father, and some pants, I wore shorts almost always, so it felt a bit off to wear pants that covered my whole leg for once. My mom smoothed out some of the wrinkles in my shirt and smiled.

"Well, you look like a spitting image of your father." she smiled again. She's smiling because she doesn't want to show me the fear that I know she's feeling, fear that her only child could possibly be reaped today.

I smiled halfly. "You don't have to pretend mom. I know you're scared." I said, trying to do for her, what I did for Annie, assure her that everything would turn out alright. I hug her. I didn't hug my mom very often, but I could tell she needed it. Sure I was fourteen, maybe a bit too old to be hugging my mother like a small child would, but for all I knew, it could be my last hug from her if I was reaped. And despite I was acting so brave to everyone, deep down, I was a little scared.

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It's one PM and children of ages 12-18 are gathered in the square, as well as everyone else in the district, since it's mandatory to attend. I wonder if Annie and her father have made it to town's square yet, or if her father even woke up. If not, then he will surely be imprisoned for not attending. I look around for Annie, and look around for a few other people I know. There's camera crews sitting on top of some shops surrounding the square, taking the place of the seagulls and pelicans. I wondered if the capital camera crew was disgusted by how much bird poop is probably up there, and how funny it would be if the seagulls attacked them to get their spots back.

I sign in, and make my way through all the other fourteen year olds, looking again for someone I knew. As time goes on, the small area we're in gets more and more crowded. I find myself body to body with a few kids from my class, I move through them to find a boy I knew. Aegus. I gave a small wave and stood next to him. We were friends...more like acquaintances. We don't talk, we just stand there and wait for the horror show to begin.

The stage in front of the justice building stood empty until the victors from our district from over the years walk on and take seats in the back. There's two large fish bowl looking things sitting on two tables with a podium between them. They all had bits of paper in them, with mine and my school mates names written on them, some once, others multiple times. One glass ball had my name in it four times. The other for the girls, had Annie's. I was nervous for her. If she was chosen, I don't know what I would do. She would never make it. She's only 13. No one that young has EVER won the games before, it was probably impossible. I watch the stage as a man dressed in a sea green suit with fish embroidered all over it walks on the stage and takes a seat in front of all the victors. His name was Zeium Triseen, he was District four's escort, straight from the capital with his seaweed green puke colored hair.

At two O'clock, the mayor speaks, and all I hear is "Blah blah blah." He tells the history of Panem, the dark days, and despite how important the day is, this will be the third year in a row I've heard it. He basically just reminds us the rules of the hunger games, and why we have it. The hunger games was something that struck fear into everyone, how could we forget it? We then get to hear a list of all the past victors, the ones behind him, and the ones that have died of old age after they won the games. We have an average amount, more than some districts, but not nearly as many as districts one and two. After we applause for the victors, we see Zeium walk up to the podium. He's smiling, as though today was an actual day to celebrate.

"Happy hunger games everyone!" He says with a wide grin, and I can't help but feel disgusted by the joy on his face. He talks a bit more, but I try to tune it out. Suddenly, I feel a warm soft hand slip into mine. I look over to my side, and see Annie and her small sweet smile. I could tell it was a nervous one. she must have slipped into the 14 year old's section when no one was looking. She was always pretty sneaky like that. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, still not listening to Zeium speak his weird capital banter, until I hear that it is officially time for the reaping. I watch as our district's escort walks over to the girl's fish bowl, and sticks his hand in to grab a slip of paper. I find myself squeezing Annie's hand tightly, mentally praying, and begging for it not to be Annie Cresta's name he pulls out of that bowl. I only breathe again when I hear a name that isn't Annie's. I let go of her hand loosely. I didn't really register what name was called though. But I couldn't begin to explain the relief that washed over me now that I knew Annie was safe this year.

"What a lovely female tribute. Next, the gentleman." Zeium says as as he walks over to the boy's fish bowl. "Don't be me. Don't be me." I think selfishly. Sure I had some friends who were fellow guys that could be chosen as well, but I wouldn't dare trade places with them. It's now Annie's turn to grip my hand in fear for losing me, as I did to her less than a minute ago. Suddenly, I hear a familiar name, and stand in shock when I realized it was my own.

"Finnick Odair!" He says in a sickening voice with a grin, he dramatically puts a hand over his eyes as though searching for me in the crowd. Everyone who knows me has their eyes on me, others follow their gaze on me, and soon enough, I have every single person's eyes landed on me.

"Finnick…" Annie whispers to herself, still hanging onto my hand, tighter than ever. I try to shake myself out of shock, but it doesn't work, I hear a voice coming from the speakers again.

"Come on up here buddy, everybody is waiting." I look up to find it was our escort's voice.

"It will be okay…" I tell her under my breath, not wanting attention to be directed to her, as I knew all cameras would be on us now. I let go of her hand, she hesitates to let go of mine, knowing it very well could be the last time we see each other. I stagger forward, and slowly make my way up to the stage. I try my best to keep cool, and be emotionless, despite I wasn't exactly what you would call, thrilled, to win the 'honor' of fighting to the death. I take my place on stage as the escort puts a hand on my shoulder, and a hand on the female tribute's as well, who now I find looks very familiar. She was a bit taller than me. She was 17 or 18 no doubt, so older than me too. Ziem asks for volunteers, but no one does, So Ziem continues with talking to get rid of the awkward silence.

"Come everyone, let's give a big applause for your tributes!" He says and you hear some claps here and there, but not a whole then make the girl tribute and I shake hands, but she doesn't look at me. I can tell she wasn't exactly happy to be reaped... or was she? Suddenly, I hear the anthem of Panem blasting loudly in my ears, seeing people around the borders of children frantically writing on betting papers which is no doubt this girl's name, I can already tell that the odds of winning will never be in my favor

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Author's note: So, maybe Finnick seems a bit out of character, you might be thinking, but keep in mind that he's only 14. Also, this is my first fan fiction, so I would REALLY appreciate it if you could please tell me what you think, and what I can improve. Thanks! :)


	2. Chapter 2: Goodbyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 2: Goodbyes**

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Quickly, the girl and I are taken away from the stage, and I can no longer see Annie's face in the crowd. Peacekeepers take us through the justice building. Each of us are taken to separate rooms. Mine was much fancier than I'm use to, from the crystal chandeliers to the golden chairs and couch cushions covered in silk. I plop down on the couch glumly. Silk. Just like the ribbon I had gotten Annie. The same one that looked so pretty in her hair today. I knew that she would come to visit me. All I had to do was wait.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts once I hear a door open. I look up, expecting to see that brown haired girl I adored so much, but instead I see my parents standing there. I didn't even think about how this would affect them until now.

You could tell that my mother had been crying, from her red puffy eyes and the tear stains down her cheeks. My father standing next to her, Apathetic as always. I'm surprised I'm just as apathetic. I should be upset somehow...crying, or angry...but I'm not. I chalk it up to I'm probably still in shock of it all.

My mother pulls me into a hug tightly, after half a minute, my father hugs the both of us, which is probably the only time my own father has ever hugged me. We hug for a while, then I pull away from the hug. There's not much to say. There was no way in hell I could assure them I would win. Sure I would try, but it was a long shot. My mother is brushing the hair out of my face, to study it, because she knew it would be the last time she saw me, in person anyways.

"Mom...Dad?" I say, and they both look down at me. "Take care of each other, okay?" I say, unsure of what other words I could possibly put together at the moment. I felt like my head was in a fog, and none of this was real. They nod, and assure me they will. They tell me how much they love me, and they give me hugs until a peace keeper comes in and tells them their time is up. They leave, and another person comes in.

This time, it wasn't Annie either. It was Aegus. The peace keepers close the doors behind him, and he stands near the door still, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "Well, uh. This sucks." he said, and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Aegus was never one to be good with his words. He then ran a hand over his shaved head, and looked at me with his brown eyes. I nodded.

"Yeah. it does." I sigh and take a seat on the couch and look up at him. "Thanks for saying goodbye." I say, as he makes his way over to the couch and sits next to me.

"The least I could do." He said. We sit in silence for some time, until it's time for him to go. "Take care of Annie for me, okay?" I tell him, and he nods before disappearing in the doorway.

I start to think Annie isn't coming to say goodbye to me...maybe it was too painful for her to say goodbye, that or she was mad at me for promising everything would be okay. I begin to believe this, until I see her walk in. She stands there in a nice mint green dress, that I can only assume belonged to her mother once. The ribbon I had given her, still in her hair.

I hug her tightly as soon as I see her. I was so happy to see her. I hug her for a long time, taking in her warmth, the feel of her thin arms around my waist, and her head leaned on my chest. I wasn't sure if I would be able to let go. This would be the last time I'll ever get to see her, hug her...talk to her. The realization hits me, and I find it hard to swallow in a breath, let alone talk.

Since I don't talk, she does. "I just knew...I knew something would go wrong today…" She said and let out a shaky sigh. I nodded in agreement.

"I know…" I finally managed to choke out. "I...I'm sorry." She pulls away from the hug, her thin eyebrows furrowed at me.

"You're sorry? It's not you're fault you were picked, Finnick." She said, looking up at me, as though in disbelief that I was apologizing for being reaped.

"I know...I know...but I am sorry for promising you that things would be okay...boy was I wrong." I say, looking at our feet on the fancy carpet. Looking anywhere but at her, until I realized I'd never be able to look at her again after this, so I put my green eyes back on her, to soak up as much of her image as I could, to burn her face into my memory for as long as possible.

"Things could...you know…" she paused, and now it was my turn to furrow my eyebrows. "What?" I asked, and her sea green eyes, that stood out today more than all the other days locked on mine.

"Be okay." She said, in all seriousness. It took all that I had not to chuckle at her. I knew she didn't like it when I teased her. I just sigh at her.

"Yeah. Okay Annie." I say, not really in the mood to humor her, despite I knew that she was seeking for my reassurance that I could win the games.

"Finnick...You're strong...and handsome...I'm sure you could win." She assures me, and I just shake my head at her.

"Annie...No one my age has ever won. Did you see my district partner? The tall blonde who looks completely career material?" I say with a soft scoff. That's when Annie grabs my face.

"I'm not ready to lose you...not now, not ever, got it?" I looked into her eyes again, and nodded. I knew that I always did what Annie wanted, it was only a matter of time before I agreed anyways. I nodded.

"Okay, I'll try my best." I tell her, and kiss her forehead. I always kissed her forehead. I've never kissed her on the lips, since we were never officially a couple, But something inside me took charge, and pressed my lips to hers. I had always thought our first kiss would have been when we were a bit older, and much more romantic...but I didn't wanna die in that arena, without the satisfaction kissing her, at least once.

She shuts her mouth, and just stares at my face for a while. She went in the pocket of her dress, and pulled out a small seashell, with a blue string weaved necklace, that could only have been crafted by her skilled hands.

"I was...saving this for your birthday." She said blushing lightly. "But, I want you to wear it...as your token, in the arena...So you can remember why you have to win." I smiled softly.

"Thank you." I said, as she opened up my left hand, and put it there. I gripped it gently, as I heard the doors open. Annie's time was up. I feel Annie grip onto my shirt.

"No...Nooo! Just one more minute!" I knew her begging was of no use, and the peacekeepers would drag her out if needed. The thought of them manhandling her makes me angry, so I gently tell her it'll be okay as the peacekeepers approach her, and she walks out with them, looking back at me the whole time. I watch her leave, and I'm alone with my thoughts.

I slip the necklace Annie had made for me around my neck. If I had my way, I'd never take it off again. After a few minutes, the peacekeepers come for me, and they bring me, and my fellow tribute to the train that would go straight to the capital. Some cameras come into view, and take out pictures and film us. I see my tribute wave and smile, as though she's happy to be there, but once the train doors close, her smile is wiped away from her face quickly. I figured the smiles and waves were all for sponsors, and I should probably take a note from her book, if I wanted some of my own.

The train begins to move, and I put out my hand to the girl. "My name's Finnick." I say. My hand stays out there. I was hoping to make her as an ally, since I wasn't sure if I would get any from other districts in the arena. I knew I wouldn't be a part of the careers. She eyes my hand, but doesn't take it.

"I know." she stated as a matter of factly, before saying "Isabell." I take my hand back and nod. Our mentors and Capital escort show up finally to greet us, and tell us that we'll be in the capital in a day. The tribute train is fancy, and looked as though the whole thing had been dipped in gold. We each get a room on the train, which we will be staying in until we arrive at the capital tomorrow. Zieum is the one doing most of the talking, telling us how we will dine on good food that night, and we could wear whatever clothes we desire in our room.

We each go to our rooms to wait for supper. I don't change my clothes. I keep the buttoned up shirt that was a bit too big for me on. It smelled of home, and I wasn't ready to give up that last bit of comfort just yet.

Zieum comes to fetch Isabell and I for dinner. A few of the past victors are sitting at the dining hall. No doubt that they would be our mentors. We're served dinner. I sit across from an older woman, and a man in his forties. I knew they were past victors, but I can't quite remember their names. And then I think back to old hunger games reruns I've seen on television, and remember the old woman's name is Mags, and the man's name is Tatum.

We eat about five courses of the richest food I've ever fettuccine is my favorite so far. I eat a lot, because I knew since I already had my age at my disadvantage, it would do me good to gain a couple of pounds.

Zieum is talking about how our district's tributes were rather attractive this year. I let the comment roll off me. Sure good looks could get you some sponsors, but it doesn't necessarily mean that you've got skills for the arena. I only hoped that the arena had water in it, As I'm sure every district four tribute has before me. I could fish for some food, so I could survive for a little while. Sometimes there isn't a whole lot of bodies of water in the arenas, So all I could do was hope for the best.

After eating, we go to another room on the train to watch the reapings of all the other districts. We see the first three districts get reaped, I mentally take notes of names of the children who I would have to fight to the death once we get to the arena. I look at the competition, and think, when most of them die in the blood bath...maybe I really could take down the others. I debate this while I watch the reaping, I look over at Isabell, and can tell she's doing the same thing as me, only she looks a lot less concerned than I do.

I was happy to see, that in the footage from when my name is called, I could see Annie. The worry on her face didn't put me at ease at all though, and they only show her next to me in the background for a few minutes, I was glad that the camera couldn't see our hand holding through the crowd. I didn't want the capital to wonder about her. When they get down to the last few tributes in the arena, (Not that I'm expecting to survive that long) They go to the districts of the tributes to get interviews of the tributes friends and family. Annie was mine, and not something to be exploited for the entertainment of the capital.

Our escort grins at the end, and continues on about how our good looks will get us far with sponsors, if we both smiled a little more. Isabell was already a pro at it, I decided that I would smile as well, so I can get sponsors...but did I really want to trade my smiles for gifts from a bunch of people who would be betting on or against me dying?

I'm torn from my thoughts when I hear Isabell speak.

"Can I have Tatum as my mentor?" she asks to no one in particular. I snap my head around to look at her. She didn't even ask what mentor she had, or if I wanted Tatum. I look over at Zieum, Mags, and then Tatum. He was pretty brutal in the arena. I don't think I really wanted someone, who doesn't care much for other people as my mentor, despite he could teach me a lot of things. I then look over at Mags, who smiles at me. They ask me if I'm fine to have Mags as my mentor, and I nod.

I didn't really know mags that well, but as of now, she would be my life line in the arena. My life would lie in her hands alone, from now on.

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Author's note: Thank you so much for reading! Sorry if this chapter was boring. Don't forget to review if you have the time, thanks!


	3. Chapter 3: The Capital

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 3: The Capital**

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For the next hour, we chat a bit with our mentors, and I'm actually really glad that I got Mags for a mentor, and not Tatum. She may be old and weak at seventy two years old, but she's actually pretty wise. After a while, Isabell and I both are sent to our rooms, as tomorrow will be a very big day in the capital.

Once I get to my room, I lay on the silk sheets in my bed, and just stare up at the ceiling for a bit. I suddenly miss the way my old ceiling was. It was blank and plain, this one had fancy wall paper, and was just too much to look at.

After a few moments, I get up and walk to my bathroom, I figured a shower would do me some good. And Zeium demanded both tributes to shower before tomorrow, and be ready for our stylists, whatever that means. I strip myself of my clothes, and walk in the shower, and everything is pretty high tech. There was a screen on the tile wall. I press a finger to it, it lights up, showing me how to turn on the water, change it from hot to cold.

I decide to take a cold shower. There was nothing like a cold shower, especially on a day working on the beach all day with the hot sun beating down on your skin making you tanner. But today I didn't work on the beach with my father, collecting fish in a close by reef. It was now that I realized I may never get to see the ocean again. I sighed and stood under the cold water, letting it calm me.

I used soap that smelled like some sort of fruit or flower I didn't recognize. After my shower, I walk back into my room, and put on only my pants, I didn't bother to put my shirt back on, and I usually slept without a shirt at night anyways.

I lay back down on my bed, and look down at my token that still laid around my neck. I pick up the shell attached to the string, and study it. I remember the first time I took annie out to the beach when it was low tide. We collected plenty of seashells to sell in town. I remembered her smile when she got to keep some that day. I figured this shell was one of the ones she kept, as it looked vaguely familiar to me. I thought of her smile a little bit longer, until I surprisingly, was able to drift off into sleep.

The next morning, Ziem wakes me up. He's a bit annoying at how happy he was all the time. Almost as though me being reaped wasn't a death sentence for me.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" He said with a gleeful smile. I groan and sit up in the bed. I wished I was able to sleep a bit more. I was shocked I slept so well that night, I suppose thinking of Annie was the only reason why I had slept so well. I wondered if thinking of her would help me sleep well in the arena as well.

I hop out of bed, and open the closet in the room to find a lot more clothes than I've ever seen together in my life. I grab the first shirt I see that isn't too obnoxious, and throw it on, keeping the pants I had on before, and walk out of my room for breakfast, as I walk down the hall, I can see Ziem barging into Isabell's room, saying the same eggs and bacon line he did for me.

Once I make it to the table in the dining room, I see a lot of eggs, bacon, sausage, orange juice, and other breakfast foods. When Ziem says 'wakey wakey eggs and bakey' he wasn't kidding. I look around for anyone else. Seeing no one, I help myself to a plate and get some bacon. I didn't eat bacon too often back home, but I liked it the few times I had tried it.

I sit down, and waited for everyone else to join the table before I started eating, Isabell sits down across from me, looking grumpy. After a few more moments, our mentors and Zeium join us at the table, and we all start to eat. I look at the coffee, and help myself to a cup, only to make a face at my first sip, which makes Mags and Tatum laugh. I set the cup down a bit embarrassed.

As we eat, our mentors begin to talk about strategies, and what kinds of arenas we could be thrown into. I listen, and glance over at Isabell. She wasn't listening at all. Either she was too distracted with her food, or she didn't care what our mentors had to say. I look back to mags, and hang onto every word she says. How to win over sponsors with just a smile. How our interview is the real hook line and sinker for sponsors. I had expected more advice on how to stay alive in the arena, or even how to kill another tribute. But neither Tatum or Mags talk about that now, but I figured we would have time when we trained separately for that, or at least I hoped.

After we eat, we're taken to a new compartment. As we're in a dark tunnel, Ziem looks at us in the dark before opening his mouth to speak.

"Remember to smile and wave out the window. Any minute you are in view of the capital, is a minute you could gain a sponsor!" He smiles at us. Isabell goes to a window, and sits in front of it, waiting for us to get out from underneath the tunnel, to come into view of the thousands of capitol citizens all waiting around to see our train pass by them in person.

I stand in the second window, as my district partner took the first one. Suddenly, the compartment is flooded with light, and I see a bunch of wild faces wrapped up in obnoxious things they call clothing. I smile and wave, just as I'm told to do. But I can't help but wonder which of those capital citizens were hoping I'd be among the first to die.

After the train stops, we are escorted to only what I can assume is the capital version of the justice building. It was ENORMOUS. Once we got inside, we were allowed to meet our stylists. Their greedy hands grab us, and drag us into separate rooms, and begin to work on us, as though they just couldn't wait to get their hands on us. A woman with purple skin and hair inspected my entire body, as the others began to strip me of my clothes, I stand there hesitantly, really wishing they had given me some sort of warning before stripping me bare before their prying eyes.

One guy who had hair that looked like a shiny silver bubble on his head went to grab my necklace around my head, and I swat him away. "I'm keeping this, it's my token!" I say, backing away from all of them. They shrug at me, and pretend it's not there. Once I'm convinced they won't try to take it from me, I let it go, and put my hands at my sides.

They shave what facial hair I have, which isn't very much, and they scrub me down, as though I didn't just take a shower the night before, like I was a stray animal with fleas they had taken in. They gossip a bit about how excited they are about the games, and what color the dude with silver hair should dye his hair next. I can't help but feel embarrassed since I'm not wearing a stitch of clothing, and these people are all entirely clothed, but I try not to let the embarrassment show.

They look at me in awe when they're done, as though I'm a work of art to call their own. "You think Ophelia will give him a boyish look for the interview, or a sexy look?" The purple girl asked And I watched them talk, wondering who Ophelia is. A tall skinny girl with cat whiskers and mouth, that can only be fake, but horrifying all the same shakes her head at them.

"No, not boyish at all." The silver haired man objects. "But he's only 14, surely she'll go for a boyish look!" He argues and the cat like woman walked up to me, grabbed my head and turned it to the side, sliding her finger on my jawline.

"With a jawline like this, she'll have no _choice_ but to go with a sexy look. I mean look at him!" She said gesturing to me, and I just kinda stood there with shyness. "Finnick, Sexy, Odair!

That was the first moment that I had ever been acknowledged as sexy, and after that, it spread like wildfire among the capital. So much so, that you would actually think Sexy was my ACTUAL middle name.

My prep team runs out of the room to retrieve whoever Ophelia is. I sigh, and wondered if all capital people were as ridiculous as them. I'd soon have to get use to people swooning over me, or welcome it even, if it'll get me sponsors. I wondered if I could put on my clothes again, I look around and see them in shreds behind me, I couldn't have put them on if I wanted.

When the door opens again, a woman with an aqua bob looking wig enters, her eyes look me up and down. I do the same to her. She's wearing all black, which makes her neon hair stand out even brighter. The prep team standing behind her with smiles on their faces, anticipating her next move.

"Hello Finnick. I am Ophelia. Your stylist, as you probably have already guessed." She says as she walks around me slowly, I could feel her eyes on my vulnerable skin. I blink a few times.

"H...Hi." I say, as she faces me now, inspecting my face. I only hoped they didn't put too many crazy colors of makeup on my face, and make it so that I'm unrecognizable. I see my stylists eyes go straight for my token, I raise my right hand to grab it, but she's much too quick for me and does it first. Surprisingly, she doesn't take it off.

"Will this be your token?" she asks and I nod. She clicks her tongue, and snaps her fingers at the prep team, who quickly robe me, and she has me follow her into a room which has some velvet covered couches which she gestures me to sit on, right next to her.

She presses some buttons, and our lunch just sorta appears on the table in front of the couch. I think about eating, but I wasn't much hungry, and I did have a big breakfast after all.

"So. My partner and I have been considering costumes for the opening ceremony. "We always have costumes that reflect the district the tributes are from." I nodded, looking at her. I only hoped it wasn't ridiculous and made me look younger than I am. Ophelia looks at me, to see if I was on the same page as her.

"So, instead of dressing you two up as fishermen, we finally decided on mermaids!" I raise an eyebrow in question a bit, then lower it. Mermaids didn't even wear makeup, so I guessed I was in the clear for that. Though, they didn't wear clothes either. I assumed we would be wearing some sort of fake fish tails, and that would be it. I nodded at her. "Sounds like a good idea I suppose." I say, trying to think if it's ever been done. I then began to remember all the mermaid myths my father told me as we worked in the sea.

She talks a bit about mermaids, and how the capital loves the mythical creatures. After I manage to choke down some lunch, the prep team is running circles around me. They're taping stencils to my skin, and spraying some blue green colors that now look like scales on my body in certain places.

"Scales instead of contour, GENIUS!" Says the purple one with a squeal, I wince lightly as the cat lady is jabbing some sort of pencil in my eyelid. 'So much for not a lot of makeup.' I think, I can only imagine what my district partner is going through. Some pearls are also glued to my face, and I wonder if they're real pearls. Suddenly I'm thinking of Annie. Her parents use to collect clams and oysters to send pearls to the capital. I smirk lightly at the pearls in the hand of the silver haired bubble headed guy.

When my prep team is finally done with me, and Ophelia give the okay, I'm shoved out of the room, and down a dark tunnel again. The opening ceremony, time to put on my game face. I think as I'm stood next to a woman with a giant headdress of seashells. Her blonde hair in ringlets. It takes me a moment to recognize her. It's Isabell.

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Author's note: Shout out to Ashxa15112 and doraviolet1 for being my first reviews, thank you guys so much! :) (I update a chapter every other day, or at least I try to, in case anyone was wondering the updating schedule.)


	4. Chapter 4: The Opening Ceremony

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter: 4 The Opening Ceremony**

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I try to hold in a boyish laugh, but fail at the sight of her. She elbowed me in the gut harshly and screams in my face.

"SHUT UP PIPSQUEAK!" She rolls her eyes and hops in the chariot. We're about to start, and I find myself craving sweets. I look near the horses in the front of the chariot, and grab a few sugar cubes. Sure they were for the horses, but I'm going to die in a few days, if I want sweets, then I'm gonna take it. I hope in the chariot and stand next to Isabell.

"Want one?" I ask and she makes a face. "Those are for the horses." I shrugged.

"More for me then." I pop another in my mouth, right as we're about to start. The opening music begins, and district one's chariot is first, which is covered in a bunch of tacky gems, Then two, and three. The first few chariots always get the most cheers, as they were the career districts, and usually just as happy to be here as the other people in the capital. I hear our district being called, and our horses start moving the chariot forward, I grab onto the side of the chariot to keep me upright as it moves.

As we go through, the crowd cheers. I see Isabell already working the crowd, and I decide to do the same to my side, we don't acknowledge each other, despite our costumes are complementary, we are not allies, at least I don't think so.

I'm taken aback by how many people are actually swooning over me. My prep team doing so was just a small taste of it. But that couldn't compare to the thousands who have already learned my name, and are cheering it. I look in the screens that have my and my district partner's faces and wonder...Is this really a face worth cheering for? I never really thought of myself as attractive...certainly not with all this tacky makeup on either. A red rose is thrown at me as I ponder this. It surprises me, but I smile and wave, as well as pretending to catch a few kisses playfully, I see a few fans throw to me. I didn't blow any kisses back though. I didn't want Annie to think I was having a grand ol time here, despite this part wasn't so bad. Many flowers are thrown at us. I don't bother to catch them, flowers aren't really my thing, but my district partner makes sure to grab as many roses that are thrown to her.

Our chariots all line up, and we wait for districts five through twelve to follow us. President Snow comes to view once district twelve finally arrived, I've seen the man on television many times, but this is the first I've ever seen him in person. His look on his face is absolutely chilling. The crowd attempts to settle down their cheers. After the President speaks a bit, we're closed into a room, and allowed to step off the chariot, and our prep teams come to greet us, squawking like angry gooses, congratulating us and what not.

They talk about how I was to die for, and I humor them and nod my head along to whatever they say. I look at all the other tributes. We weren't the only ones dressed ridiculous, that's for sure. I see some glares in my direction from more districts than I had imagined. We take an elevator, once our prep teams are through fawning over us.

It took me hours and hours to peel the pearls off my face, and scrub off the blue green scales that had been sprayed on my body.

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We ate dinner that night with a lot of talk from our district escort. He told everyone who was anyone in the capital that we were just the two most attractive tributes he had ever had. I don't really listen and I poke at my food with my fork. I wondered what kind of weapons would be in the cornucopia this year. I looked at my fork again, and I moved around some mashed potatoes on my plate. If there was a trident, then I would surely have a shot. They didn't have tridents every year though, as those are seen more as a tool than a weapon.

I didn't eat too much. Maybe it was because the shock of the realization that I'll be dead in a week has finally gotten to me. Or maybe it was that chilling look President Snow had given each of us that day that's put my stomach in knots. I end up excusing myself from the table, and go straight to my room. I wished I could leave, and just walk to the beach.

The beach was always my go to when I was upset, to be alone with my thoughts. I laid in bed, and closed my eyes. I tried to paint a picture in my head as to what the beach looked like. I tried to remember the sound of waves. I toss and turn, then snap my eyes out and look out the window. No beach view from the window. I get up and walk over it to get a better look at all the tall buildings. I was on the fourth floor. So I couldn't see too much, like I would have the top floor, but it was still a pretty good height to see the capital. There were so many bright lights. Almost like each building was a light house.

I put my hand up to the glass, and suddenly the view changes and it's raining. I widen my eyes and raised my eyebrows. I pull my hand away, and tap the screen lightly, it changes again and it's snowing, it looks like that arena in the snow almost, from a couple of years ago. My eyebrows furrow. It must be some high tech window, like the screen in the bathroom.

I tap the window again and again, going through the different views. They must be videos, not pictures since they're moving. It's like a really big television screen, like the one in town square, only it's not playing the games, or interviews, it's just scenery. I tap until I find one that looks like home and I pause, taking a step back to look at it. Light blue waters, much lighter of a blue than the greenish colored ocean in district four. I always knew the ocean was associated with blue, Like Ophelia's hair, but I never knew the water could be this shade of blue.

It wasn't home, but it was close enough. I hear the sounds of one wave crashing over another, and that would be enough to help me sleep I think.

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I open my eyes, and I see Annie standing over me. She snickers lightly smiling down on me, the sun behind her, almost giving the illusion of an angel.

"Fell asleep on the beach again Finn?" she giggled lightly, and I sat up quickly, my hand buried in the warm sand.

"Psh, no. Just a little nap." I shake the sand out of my hair, and look up at her again. She sits down next to me.

"Mhm. That's what you said last time." She said, pulling out some brown string from her bag bundled up. We often weaved nets on the beach. My nets never turned out as tightly woven as hers did, but it was still a fun way to pass the time on my days off.

Hours pass, and we're half way done without nets, and the is setting on the horizon, giving the ocean almost an orangey pink color. Annie drops her net, and stands up in the last bit of the sunlight.

"If you die, I'm never gonna survive, I hope you know." She says suddenly, looking out to the ocean. I look up at her, and furrow my eyebrows. She's completely still, except her dress which is flowing lightly around her.

"Annie…" I say then stand up to put my arms around her, and suddenly she's a few feet farther than me. I take another step forward, and she's even farther from me now. I plant my feet in the stand, not wanting her to grow any further from me. "Annie...I'm not going anywhere." I said, reassuringly.

"That's what my mother said before she died." She said, still looking at the ocean, the sun is quickly being pulled away from us, and darkness conceals us in it's place. "You're all that I have now, Finn." She says, turning her head to face me. Her lips quiver lightly. "If I don't let you go now, I'll never survive your death." she says, before putting her arms out, and suddenly she's a sand piper, and she's flying towards the setting sun, I put my hand out.

"Annie..don't go...Don't leave me...It's not safe out there!" I yell, and I hear a dark chuckle behind me.

 _"_ _Looking for something, Finnick?"_ I turn and I see a man in a suit, holding a bird cage. I'm not quite sure who the man in the suit is supposed to be...But he looks so vaguely familiar… I see the sandpiper that was once Annie inside, Squawking, and squawking.

"Stop it!" I yell, and the man opens the cage, I feel my heart ache in relief, as I think he's going to let her go, Instead, the man grabs her by the neck, and breaks it. I watch in horror as the bird lays on the ground. The dead bird turns back to Annie, laying motionless, with a distorted neck on the ground.

"ANNIE...NOOOOO!" I yell, and that's when I wake up in a cold sweat. I'm clutching onto my token around my neck. I mentally tell myself, that Annie is back home, and she's safe, she has no threats against her. I try to rack my brain for who the man in the suit could possibly be. I have no clue. But I feel in my gut, that he's a real threat to Annie, not just in the dream.

That's when I decided. I couldn't just accept my death. I can't protect her when I'm dead. I would have to win the games.

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Author's note: Thanks again for reading! Sorry this chapter was short, Also, prepare for some Annie POV next chapter! Again, please review because it lets me know people are reading. Thanks! :)


	5. Chapter 5: His Jacket

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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Also, This chapter is dedicated to Doraviolet1, who gave me the suggestion and inspiration of an Annie P.O.V. thank you!

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 **Chapter: 5 His Jacket**

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 **(Annie P.O.V.)**

I don't sleep a wink that night. Just as I have every night since Finnick has left. I haven't slept hardly at all, and it's really starting to show. I slip out of bed and stand in front of the mirror a bit, looking at my dark circles. I looked physically ill… ill with worry. I run my fingers through my wavy hair as I slip on a jacket that Finnick had left her some time ago. I smell it and I can still smell his scent mixed with a beachy smell as well. I think about how this is probably the only piece of him I'll have of him if he doesn't make it. I try to shake the thought out of my head lightly, trying not to think about it.

I creep down stairs as quietly as I can. Once I'm down the stairs, I can see that for once my father isn't passed out on the couch. In fact, the living room is completely empty of life. I lead myself to the living room and stop when I see some broken bottles on the ground. I realize I'm not wearing shoes, and I walk around the broken bits of glass, careful not to step on any of it. I made a mental note to clean up the mess tomorrow, because I know he won't, my Father has never cleaned up his own messes. I was much too exhausted to clean it up now though.

I click on the television, in hopes to find some recaps of either the reaping, or the opening ceremony from earlier today. I already saw them, but I really just wanted the comfort of seeing Finnick's face. Soon they will have their interviews, and I'll be able to hear his voice as well as his face. I sit in front of the television and cross my legs, as I watch the television fuzz and wait for the connection.

It's a re cap from the opening ceremony. I watch districts one and two, they were much bigger than Finnick, and I worried for a bit, wondering if Finn would end up being a career, or head off in the arena on his own. I wished so badly I could talk to him now. Unfortunately, I'd have to just wait for the games, watch, and find out what each of his moves will be, along with the rest of Panem.

District three's chariot is next. The boy looked about sixteen, the girl...probably around my age. They looked very skinny. The boy had glasses on. They were both dressed in green, and I assumed they were supposed to look like...microchips? I think. I wasn't quite sure. But, it made sense since their district was technology. Since I am from District four, I knew much more about things like fish and the water, than I ever would technology.

Next chariot was District four. Their chariot was decked out with sea shells, and star fish that were all painted an unnatural gold color, as well as fish nets that were far too fancy to actually be used to catch anything. And there he was. My Finn. He stood there, dressed in more makeup that I would have ever expected him to wear. I wondered if he had fought his stylist on it or not. He was smiling and waving. It wasn't his genuine smile that he gives when he's happy. It was the same smile he gave, when he was cracking a joke, or when he was sticking up for me.

I press my hand to my television screen, when the cameras seem to linger on his face, as he seems to catch something that was invisible. "Oh Finn…" I say sadly, looking at his face. I'm torn away from the screen when I hear a loud thud outside, and something rustling in the bushes. I'm startled when I see a person standing outside my window, brushing himself off.

That's when I saw clearly who it was. Aegus. I slide Finnick's jacket off and set it on the arm of the couch, before I went to the window and opened it. Aegus waved and smiled.

"Uh, Hiya Annie." He said as he attempted to climb through the window, as he did, he fell onto the ground with another thud.

"Shhh!" I say loudly, and he just shrugs with a smile. He muttered an 'oops.' as he got himself up. "What are you doing climbing my tree so late at night?" I ask with suspicion. He rubs the back of his head and looks at the ground.

"Well, Finn made me promise him to check up on you. Make sure you were okay, you know since he couldn't." He looked at me now. "I climbed up the tree, and saw you weren't in your room, that's when I fell...Sorry if I scared ya Ann." I said shyly.

"It's fine." I say softly, as I look at him. "Are you hurt?" I ask and he shakes his head. We take a seat on the couch and watch the rest of the opening ceremony recap. We talk about some of the weaker tributes, assuring each other that Finnick can take them if he had to, but we both know the truth, that we will have to watch our friend die a horrible death on television.

Aegus furrows his thick eyebrows, as he looks over and sees some alcohol bottles lying around, as well as some broken ones. "Uh… Ann, I know that the games will be hard this year… but uh, I don't think getting into your Dad's booze is a great idea. As I heard the concern in his voice I scoff lightly.

"Those aren't mine. Those are my father's. He's an alcoholic." I explain, and I realized this was the first time Aegus has ever been in my house. He was more of Finn's friend than my own, and we only ever saw him in school. Aegus just nodded at me, and we watched as some hosts from the capitol talk about what a splash District four made this year. Once they're over, I turn the television off, and Aegus heads for the window. "I'm gonna head home, you get some rest, okay Ann?" He says, unsure of what else to say. I guess he could tell I haven't been getting much sleep from my bags and dark circles around my eyes. Or maybe it was because he wasn't sleeping much either.

"Okay." I say with a small smile. "You could use the front door you know." I say out the window as he walks away. I close the window with a sigh. That was nice of him to stop by. But It was past curfew, and I hoped he wouldn't get in trouble with a peacekeeper. I curl up on the couch now, and grab Finn's jacket again and smell it. I didn't really want to sleep in my room. I'd only end up staring at my bedroom window all night, waiting for Finn to knock on it, knowing he wouldn't. I cover myself with his jacket and sigh sadly again. "Please be careful Finnick…" I say closing my eyes, and wait for sleep to take me.

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Author's Note: Sorry if this chapter was boring, Though Annie's point of view really intrigues me since the books are so vague about her. If you wanna see more Annie point of view later in the story, let me know in the reviews below! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6: My Mentor

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 6: My Mentor**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

Zieum calls us to breakfast. Again, I wasn't much hungry. But I make myself eat, because who knows how many meals I'll get in the arena. I can fish sure, but if there isn't any large bodies of water, I'll surely starve. I play with the food on my plate a bit, before shoveling scoops into my mouth. All anyone at the table is talking about is sponsors.

I get that sponsors are important. But them sending me things here and there won't help my lack of skill in a desert, or forest, or somewhere entirely covered in snow. I look as an avox puts a cup of coffee in front of me. I then began to wonder how it would be to not have a tongue. And what crime you could possibly do to get such a harsh punishment. I watch the avox go away, and look at the coffee. I remember how nasty the coffee was the last time I tasted it, and how Mags and Tatum laughed at me.

I watch across the table as mags picks up her coffee, and puts some sugar cubes in it. My eyes lighten up at the sugar cubes. I guess I had a real sweet tooth for the stuff. We had sugar in District four sure, but not in the shape of cubes. I pick up some sugar cubes, and drop them into my coffee just like I watched Mags do minutes earlier. I hold a cube in my hand and look at it. It reminds me of the chariot rides, and all those people in the capital cheering my name. All those people, either excited to see me die, or excited to see me kill.

I pop a sugar cube in my mouth, and suck on it while I stir my coffee with a spoon. The dark muddy brown color turns lighter after I put the sugar in. I hoped that it would taste better now, if it didn't, I'd still try to refrain from making the same face I did last time. I take a sip, and decide it isn't that bad. I take another sip. That's when I hear a voice from across the table.

"Don't get addicted to the stuff, no Coffee in the arena, Finnick." Mags says, then mumbles something and her and Tatum laugh. I look at them, and set my coffee down. And I decide to speak up the thoughts I've had the last few days.

"Speaking of the arena, Do you guys have advice for us?" I ask hopeful. Isabell, who has been just as quiet as I was, looks up from her plate at Tatum.

"Well, that depends, do you two want to be mentored together, or separately." Mags says, looking at the two of us. I could tell she was hoping we would be allies. I look over at Isabell, to ask her what she thought. She doesn't even look at me as she answers for us.

"Separately." I had always wondered if we would be enemies or allies in the arena. Sure she was a bit harsh when she spoke to me times before, but I still had some hope she would be my friend in the arena. It was obvious she would be with the careers, I could be too, but considering she wants to be coached separately, I feel like if I was with the careers, I'd be the first to go once we wiped out the others. I get this eerie feeling that she could be the one to kill me. I pick up my coffee cup and mutter into it.

"Sure." We go through the rest of the day, only talking about sponsors, Ziem talks mostly, with Tatum butting in some of the times. Our stylists join us at some point and join in on the talk about physical looks. Mags and myself are quiet. I wondered if she was just a quiet person, or if she didn't even care about getting me sponsors. I suddenly wish I had gotten Tatum as a mentor, because Mags doesn't seem to be helpful with getting me sponsors at all. I don't listen to the chatter for most of the day, since Zeium's shallow techniques were almost making me sick. We eat lunch, watch the opening ceremonies, then Dinner. At this point, I was kind of angry that Mags hasn't said a word. Maybe she just doesn't care if I live or die.

I finish dinner before everyone else, and excuse myself. I stand on the balcony, and feel the cool night wind on my face. It wasn't the beach air, but it was close enough. It was much better than being inside that stupid building listening to talk about how to be the most attractive you can be. I sighed lightly and looked down at the streets, that seemed to be covered in rainbow shiny bits of paper. Paper that appeared to be smaller than my fingernail. I wondered why they did that. It seemed like such a waste. I watch as what seems like a rain of those little papers falls down on the streets again.

Capital people are weird. I concluded, and decided I didn't really need their help. Like Annie said, I was strong. I could do it. If they didn't have tridents in the arena, they would have spears. And if I couldn't get to the weapons then I could make a spear out of a tree branch. I tried to remember all the arenas before now that I've seen. I remember a re run where there was just grass and some bushes, no trees. I grumble and think about what I'll do without trees, and without a body of water with fish in it. I'm interrupted by my thoughts as I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder.

It's Mags. "What do you want?" I mumble, looking down at all the people partying below. They have no worries. They have no worry of ever being reaped, or having to kill anyone. They just sit on their bums and order any kind of food they please in their crazy costumes without a care in the world. They almost made me sick.

"I wanted to talk to you about your sponsors." She said, leaning against the railing next to me. Now? She wanted to talk to me about getting sponsors now that we've wasted a whole day? I wondered in my head and look over at her.

"I've decided I don't want any sponsors." I say as a matter of factly. Mags just smiles. The wrinkles on her face more prominent now. She pats the shoulder she had her arm on.

"That's dumb." She mumbled, and I looked at her with my eyebrows raised as she insulted me. She mumbled a bit, so I thought maybe I had heard wrong, but no. She called me dumb.

"Dumb?!" I ask, raising my arms up in the air. "I'm dumb for thinking some silver shiny rich people can't help me run, or find water, or food, or kill another person?! I'm dumb for that?!" I ask, my voice much more raised than it has since I've gotten here. I've held a lot in since the reaping. Now it was time to speak up. Now was the time to let everyone know, that I wasn't okay with dying, or killing either.

"Yes." she says simply. "If you get a bad burn, or an infected wound. Or even if you're starving, or dehydrated, a sponsor could mean life and death. Those silly rich people down there." She pointed down at the people on the streets dancing around, celebrating this year's games. "Those people, want to pay money to keep you alive. If you're not gonna be with the careers, those sponsors will keep you alive." She says, looking at me, mumbling something else.

I rolled my eyes lightly, and she whispers in my ear. "You haven't even had your interview yet, and you have more sponsors already than Isabell could ever dream of." As I hear this, my green eyes widen in shock. Did I really already have sponsors?

"You're lucky your looks make up for your lack of brains." She mumbles before walking from the balcony. Suddenly her remaining silent all day in front of the others makes sense. If Isabell knew I had so many sponsors already, only then would she want to be allies. That way, our mentors would have to work together and send us things together.

I wasn't mad at the wasted day anymore, I was thankful for my mentor's silence about my sponsor's.

Mags...Is brilliant.

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Author's note: Again, thank you guys for the reviews, I really really appreciate them! :) This chapter may be rushed, but I like how it turned out, next chapter, the training center! Thanks for reading you guys! :)


	7. Chapter 7: Training Center

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 7: Training Center**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

Today was training. Mags told me in private not to show off any actual skills I may have, but to work on things I didn't yet know. I decided I would stay away from the spears, and knot tying, and I would work on identifying plants, and watch the others, and maybe try to guess what my enemies are good at.

We're told we have three days to train in the training center, and three days...is a bit too much for me. I wasn't sure my nerves could take three days of standing around, learning plants, and camouflage and whatever else I wasn't good at. I was glad that on the last day, we get to show the game makers what we know. I'd use a trident if they had one, if they didn't, then a spear, show them how accurate and far I could throw. Though, I doubt they'd give me a high score just for that. But I could hope. If I was gonna have sponsors, I didn't want it to be for my looks, I want it to be for my skills.

Zieum escorts Isabell and I to the training center, and we only glance at each other once when we enter the elevator. We don't talk to each other. As we're in the elevator, I daydream about what Annie must be doing. I hoped she had enough to eat this morning. I usually brought her food whenever her father passed out drunk and didn't give her any money to buy any herself. I hoped Aegus was checking on her, making sure she was eating. I'm pulled from my thoughts of her when the elevator opens, Zieum fixes his nasty green hair before telling us to have fun. Fun? Sometimes I wonder who Zieum thinks he is.

The training center is gigantic. An entire floor filled with all kinds of activities, maybe I couldn't be as bored as I thought. Only about half of the other tributes are here so far, I assumed the others would be here shortly. I'll be in a room with all the other kids who I will have to kill, if I want to go home to Annie, and my parents.

Someone pins the number four to my shirt, as well as Isabell, I let them, as Iook around the gymnasium, wondering where to go first. Isabell goes off to stand by the careers right away, and I'm not surprised. This is the moment where I have to choose. To choose to go hangout with the careers, or not. If I don't go up to them in the next three days, They won't accept me as a career, if I do, I'll be stuck as a career. I stand for a moment, wondering what choice I should make.

On one hand, if we're in an arena where I would have a disadvantage in getting food, water, or a weapon, if I were a career, I'd have all that fine, no problem at all. On the other...I'll be the first they kill when there's only carers left. I bite on my lower lip, and walk around, looking at all the stations. I decided that today I would work on small stations myself, and tomorrow I'd decide if I wanted to join the careers or not.

I walk up to the fighting techniques place, and watch as a few kids from district eight listen to the instructor. I stand by and listen for a bit. It isn't anything I didn't know. I often got into fights with other kids my age back at my district, well, not often, but enough to always win in a fight. Though, the other tributes were much older than me, other than a few others, but in the end I decided to walk on to another station.

I walk up to the knot tying station. Mags told me to steer clear of the knot tying station, though, knot tying is pretty harmless, despite I was great at it, from all my time making nets with Annie on the beach. I couldn't see how another tribute knowing I was good at tying a simple knot would give anything away. I grab some rope, and tie some knots, trying to look busy as I take a nice piece of rope and stuff it in my pocket. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take a piece of rope or not, but I tried to be sneaky about it anyways. I figured it would help me sleep. Tying knot before bed. I don't think we're actually allowed to even have rope to take back to our room. Fear of a tribute hanging himself before the games, and having to reap a new one so close to the games was a bother I suppose.

After I've stuffed a piece of rope in my pocket, I see a boy, maybe a year younger than me, he has the number five pinned to his back. I watch him struggle with tying a knot. He keeps looping it around itself, and it comes loose. It's...Almost pathetic, to someone like me who's tied knots all his life, complicated knots as well, though he seems to struggle with a simple one. This leads me to wonder if he could even tie his own shoes.

I debate with myself if I want to help him, and eventually I do. I grab another piece of rope, and walk over to him.

"Like, this." I say, standing next to him now. I slowly show him how to tie a basic knot. I knew toddlers who could tie better knots than sticks his tongue out of his mouth as he focuses on his actions. I show him again until his knot is finally decent. He looks up from his work, and smiles at me.

"Thanks." He pauses, as though wondering if he should tell me his name. "August." He says, holding the knotted rope in his left hand, he sticks out his right to me. I take it and firmly shake. "Finnick." I say and we both take our hands back.

"Let me show you how to make a cow hitch knot." I say, and pick up a new piece of rope. Showing the boy who couldn't even tie a knot, a few other simple knots shouldn't cause any harm, I'm boy raises his dark eyebrows at me, but grabbed another piece of rope as well.

"Why do they call it a cow hitch knot?" He asks me, and I paused as I was measuring the length of the rope by eye.

"I...don't know." I chuckled lightly, and he chuckled with me. He studies my hands as I tie the knot quickly, then I undo the knot just as quickly as I tied it, and slowly re do the cow hitch knot, showing him just how I did it. He copies me a few times, and fails, but he keeps trying, and he eventually gets it before we're all called for lunch.

Lunch is a lot like school. Only with twenty four kids, of various ages, instead of around the same age group, and more kids. The careers all sit around the same table, talking loudly, already all buddies, despite in about a week they'll all be trying to kill each other.

Everyone else is mostly alone, except district seven, who sit almost next to each other, and at the same table even. I find an empty table, after I served myself some food from the cart, and sit down. I'm looking through the bread basket at my table, when I hear a tray get set next to me, and a scrawny person sits next to me. It's the boy from the knot tying station. He looks at me, and kinda scoots himself away from me, obviously regretting his decision to sit next to me.

"Uh...You don't mind if I sit here right...I mean, I can move…" He says, and I shake his head.

"No. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone to talk to that isn't my district partner, escort, or mentor." I say with a shrug, and he nods. We eat in silence a bit, unsure of how to strike up conversation.

"So...what's district four like?" he asks, looking over at me as he plays with his food. I was biting into a fish shaped loaf of bread that was tinted green from seaweed. I chew and swallow my bite before answering.

"Well, it's usually hot, during the day anyways. Lots of sand. Honestly, you can't get away from the stuff." I chuckle lightly, remembering how my mother always scolded my father and I for bringing sand in on our shoes and clothes from work. "And uh...Relaxing...a lot more than here. When the city's lights are off, and you sit on the beach, listening to the waves and looking at the stars, it's the best feeling in the world." I say, then after a minute of the boy not replying, and me unsure of what else to say, I go back to eating.

The boy ends up telling me about district five, and how it's pretty boring with machines and cords running all over the city. District five generates power for all of Panem, and I never really wondered until now what district five was like much.

After lunch, we go back to our floors to meet up with our mentors. I tell mags that district give boy, August, was the only one I talked to, and that I decided not to join the careers. She tells me that was a wise choice. She also reminds me to stay away from the spear throwing station, at least until my session with the game makers. After talking with Mags, I go to my room, and pull the rope out of my pocket, lay on my bed and tie some knots. It helps a lot, but it doesn't put me to sleep like I had hoped. I stared at the globe knot I had made, and wondered if Annie was nervous, and tying knots to soothe herself as well. I set the knot on my night stand, and stare at it until sleep pulls on my eyelids and I give in to it.

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Author's note: Thank you Saltonwounds, thorntheif27, and especially robotters 13 for the lovely reviews! They inspire me to keep writing. :)


	8. Chapter 8: The Game Makers

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 8: The Game Makers**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

The next two days of training were pretty much the same. The first day I spent going from station to station with August. The first thing we did was camouflage and I was pretty terrible at it. At least I was terrible with the dyes and paint, but I was okay with the leaves and grass on my arm. August drags me over to the fire starting station. He has a hard time with it, I show him a few times, but it just doesn't stick.

We also head over to archery. I wasn't really that good. The arrows are so small. And it's a lot different than throwing a spear or trident. Surprisingly August was really good at it. He says it's because he's made a small bow and arrow at home, with a pencil, a paper clip, and a rubber band, just for fun when he's bored. If they have a bow and arrows in the arena, and he some how gets his hands on it, he could really have some chance at winning.

We eat lunch, and both of us talk about our districts some more. When I got back to my floor, Mags asks me if I wanted the boy from district five as an ally. After thinking about it for the rest of the day, I don't decide until I see him again in the gymnasium on the last day.

I realized if I made any allies, if I wanted to go home, I would probably have to kill them. August tries to follow me around, once he gets stuck at a station, I move on without him. He doesn't catch up with me for a while, until he spots me at the edible plants station. I wasn't good at first, but after about thirty minutes, I learned a lot that could potentially help me in the arena. He stood behind me as I worked at this station. It was really hard to avoid him after we seemed to form a friendship the last few days, but I just couldn't bare to make a friend, then have to kill them. That's what makes me different than the careers. They're all sitting at their table, acting like buddies. But you know, that when the rest of us are dead, they're all gonna slaughter their friends without a second thought. I can't do that to August.

At lunch, I sigh and poke at my food. This is when the Game makers call us each in for our sessions. It was the last day of training. August sits next to me in silence, nibbling his food every now and then, until he just can't take the silence between us anymore.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asks, and this is the first time I look at him all day. I shake my head. That's when the District one's boy is called. He's tall, and a lot more muscular than myself. He's pale and has eyes like sharp diamonds. I turn my attention back to August.

"It's just that...I haven' accepted my death yet. I say, looking back at my food. "And if I want to win, I'm gonna have to kill the careers, and whoever else gets in my way… I don't want to become allies with you just to have to...kill you." I say, and August looks at me like I was crazy.

"But, we could part ways, and even go to separate parts of the arena, and-" I put up my hand to stop him.

"I have someone I need to go back home for. And though the odds of me winning aren't likely. I'm still gonna try my hardest. And I don't want to be friends with you, and get to know you better, to watch you die." August blinks at me, then stands up with his tray.

"Alright. Good luck Finnick, and may the odds be in your favor." He walks away to seat himself at an empty table. I'm left alone, and staring at my food that I can't bring myself to eat. Sure that may have been a jerk thing of me to do, but it was for the best, and surely he knew that too.

After a few more hours, the boy from district three is called in by the game makers. Everyone is finished with lunch by now, and we're all just kind of waiting around for our turn. When I'm finally called, my palms are sweaty. I wasn't quite sure if what I had to show them was impressive or not. I wanted a high score, so I could gain sponsors for my skills, and not my looks, but if I got a high score, that would also put a target on my back once I'm in the arena.

I walk inside, and see a bunch of older people dressed in purple robes, sitting around in a box like room across from the training center, they were there during all of training. Sometimes I caught their eyes on me, but not very often. But now, all of their eyes were on me. I look around, wondering if they were waiting for me to begin. I couldn't show them combat, as there was no one else to use it on, so that was out. So now all I had was weight lifting, and spear throwing. Possibly climbing, but everyone can climb can't they? I assumed that wouldn't be impressive, so I walk over to the spears and pick one up. It wasn't a trident, but it would do. I used a spear when I was pretty young, until my father bought me a trident when I was around eleven.

I throw the spear at some targets here and there, around the room, whatever seemed like a good target, even if it didn't go with the spear station. After a few of the game makers looked bored, I decided to move on to weights. I wasn't too strong, but for my age I guess I was pretty strong. Picking up crates and crates of fish to be transported to other places. I throw weights until they dismiss me. I nod, and leave. Next they would see my district partner. I didn't know what her special skill was, but I knew it would be a lot more impressive than my session was.

I walk into the elevator, and when I get to my floor I see Mags, and I'm not sure how I'll be able to tell her that my session was a total flop, and I'd probably lose all my sponsors, and any respect from my fellow tributes.

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Author's note: I feel like Finnick constantly thinking about sponsors is a bit redundant, but I really wanted to emphasize how important they are to the story, Also, I feel like I have less and less dialog in these chapters, maybe I should add more talking bits to make it less boring? Let me know in the reviews what you think, thanks again for reading you guys! :)


	9. Chapter 9: The Scores

**Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 9: The Scores**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

Mags smiles at me kindly. I'm still attempting to figure out her personality. One day she tells me I'm lucky my good looks make up for my lack of brains, the other she's smiling like a kind old lady. I wondered if there was any reason for her constant change in her personality. I decide it doesn't really matter right now. Now is our time to talk about the training session, while my district partner is having her own, after that we'll get to see our scores.

"So, how was it?" Mags asked me, her dark eyes looking into mine. I walk with her to the sitting room. I look at anywhere but her face when I speak.

"Not...so great. I won't be shocked if they give me a low score." I mutter, and finally decide to look over at my mentor, who surprisingly only shrugs.

"Your score doesn't really matter, I've already sealed the deal with some sponsors. And the other tributes will underestimate you, and that will give you an advantage in the Arena. You'll be fine." she says this, and I frown.

"Mags…" I say, looking at her as we sit down next to each other on a small blue couch. "I didn't want sponsors because I have a pretty face, I wanted sponsors for my skill." I say, and she just laughs in my face.

"Look, The capital is all about looks. While the hunger games is no beauty pageant, people are gonna wanna keep a pretty boy like you alive, whether you have skills in the arena or not. It doesn't matter their reasoning for sponsoring you, it only matters if they do. And they will. But you've better step up your pretty boy game in the interviews, because they don't want to hear about how fast you can tie a knot or catch a fish. They want to fall in love with you. You need to be desirable. Don't worry about your score so much. Worry about the interview."

I nod at mags, looking down at my hands. The was the second time I doubted Mag's advice. I decided that from now on, I was going to listen to her, no matter what she said. "Thanks Mags." I said with a small smile, and she hugged me. She hugged me as though I were family. Not that my family hugged me that often. This was when I realized, that Mags actually did care, and she was gonna help me the best she could to get out of that arena.

We're called to Dinner after Isabell was done with her session. Not only are use and our mentors there, but our stylists have joined us for dinner as well. We eat a fish soup. That's when I noticed, a lot of our dishes had been based off of things the capital got from district four, in addition to other courses of food we were usually served, the first course was always something from the ocean. Fancy tuna, shrimp, lobster, now fish soup. I wonder if that was a coincidence or not as I took a spoonful of the soup in my mouth. I almost wished it was that nice fettuccini again. I wished Annie could have tried some, she would have loved it.

Isabell and I don't talk. Our mentors and our stylists do though. They talk about some capital citizens I suppose. I wasn't really too interested. After dinner, we all find our way to the sitting room again Since our training sessions are private, the game makers announce our score on television for all to see. Zieum sits down in his own chair, closest to the screen.

"Oh! I'm just so excited to see the scores you got! I bet you two got the highest scores!" He said in a hopeful tone. Though I wonder what lead him to believe we both scored high. I mean, Isabell probably scored high, but I sure as hell would not. My eyes linger on our escort fro just a moment longer, wondering what lead him to have so much faith in me, a fourteen year old kid.

They began to show us pictures of district one tributes. The girl from district one got an eight, and the boy an eleven. District two is in the higher range as well. Both of District three's tributes got a low score, which wasn't surprising at all.

Next was us, District four. I get a five. I watch as the number five flashes on screen next to my picture. I wasn't happy about it, but I wasn't upset either. I could have gotten a two, and not a five. Mags puts her frail hand on my sounder and gives me a squeeze, as if to say "It's fine." Isabell rolled her eyes as she got an eight.

"ONLY an eight?!" She said, standing up, shouting at the television. "Lousy game makers!" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Mags takes her hand back, and covers her face with her hand, trying to conceal a laugh. Tatum assures Isabell that an eight was good, and she could have done worse like some people. As he says that, his look directs to me, and I sink into the couch, and just kept telling myself what Mags told me. 'Your score doesn't really matter, I've already sealed the deal with some sponsors. And the other tributes will underestimate you, and that will give you an advantage in the Arena. You'll be fine.'

After some social exchange of words with our mentors and stylists, and Zieum grabbing me by the shoulders and said I did good despite my number, we're sent to bed. Once my door closed behind me, I knew that I would have another restless night. I go to the nightstand that was next to my bed, and hope that when an Avox came to clean my room, that they didn't take my piece of rope away. I grin slightly when I see it was in there just as I had left it.

I grab the rope, and sat on the edge of my bed, tying some knots, over and over. Honestly, this piece of rope I stole from the training center has kept the only bit of sanity I have left. After a few minutes of tying knots in silence, I walk over to the window. I tap it and change the view to the ocean yet again. I sat on the ground and crossed my legs, working on the rope again.

It was almost like home. The view of the sound of the waves, the rope in my hand. I looked down at the flooring beneath me. No warm sand to caress my legs though. I looked up at the ceiling that had a dimply lit light fixture. No warm sun to beat down on my tan skin either. I sighed lightly and ran my right hand through my hair, looking at the knots in the rope in my left. And no Annie to show up and comfort me either.

I tie one last knot and toss the rope aside. Despite the rope was no longer in my hands, I still stared at it. What was she doing now? Was she okay? Was she eating? Was she sleeping? There was no doubt that my low score didn't put her at ease at all. I now lay on the floor, staring up at the dim light fixture. Staring directly at it didn't even hurt my eyes. Probably because the lights were so dim. I wondered if I could brighten it, and almost pretend it was the sun.

I prop my head up with my arms resting on the ground behind my head. I didn't sleep well much in those capital beds. Mine at home wasn't comfortable either. The springs creaked each time I made the slightest move at home. The beds here didn't seem to have springs in them at all. Just some kind of soft...spongy stuff that made your body sink into the bed. No, my bed back home in district four wasn't comfortable, but it was home.

Eventually, after my thoughts grow thin, sleep carries me away.

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Author's note: Sorry I hadn't updated in a few days. but I'll get back to my normal every day schedule. What'd you guys think about this chapter? Next up, the interviews!


	10. Chapter 10: Preparations

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 10: Preparations**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

I wake up on the floor at around 4:00 AM, and decide to clean up for the day before Zieum comes to wake me. Today we would be prepping for the interview, and according to my mentor, as well as Isabell's, we both needed a lot of practice. I let the bathtub fill itself up. It automatically stops when it gets up to a line. The screen on the wall next to the bathtub lights up, asking me if I wanted bubbles in the water. I press no with my pointer finger on the screen, then I discard my clothes on the floor and hop in.

I submerge myself in warm water. It felt like the ocean on a particularly hot summer day. I hold my breath and keep myself under water for a long time. Eyes closed, letting the water in the tub cradle me. It was nice. It wasn't seawater. But it was still nice. I leisurely lay in the tub for about an hour til I get wrinkly. Eventually I get out of the tub, and find that my clothes from the floor are missing, and replaced with new folded ones.

I guess an avox came in when I was under water and swapped my clothes out. I hadn't even noticed. I put on my new clothes and tuck my token in my shirt with care. After that, as if on cue, I hear I knock that could only belong to Zeium.

Finnick the beauty, wake up, we've got a very big long day of training ahead of us my boy!" He said in a voice that still made me cringe. I'm shocked that I haven't gotten use to it by now. I leave my room and head to the dining hall. That's when I see Isabell up, and eating already. I load up my plate with plenty of food. Hash browns. Fruits, eggs, a couple pieces of toast smothered in butter, and lots of bacon. I sat down across from Isabell and glance over at her once, then at the sugar cubes and cream sitting by the coffee. I grab some sugar cubes and put those on my plate also. For some reason, I couldn't seem to get enough of them. Maybe it was because they were in the shape of a cube and that fascinated me, I don't know.

We eat in silence, until I decide I can't take the silence much longer, and our mentors didn't seem to be joining us any time soon. "So...Are you happy you were reaped?" I asked, looking over at my district partner, who seemed to be sour since I met her on that platform in district four, yet had no problem smiling for cameras. She looked across the table at me with her brown eyes.

"Psh. No." She poked at a sausage and shoved it in her mouth. She wasn't very lady like when she ate. Not like Annie. Annie was always graceful in every action she took. I had assumed most women were that way too, but in this moment I realized I hadn't paid much attention to any other girl that wasn't Annie. I then began to notice all the little differences the two girls had, I'm snapped out of my thoughts when I hear Isabell speak again.

"I was reaped, sure it sucks, but I'm gonna make the most of it. I know how I'm supposed to act, I know my place, and I know my best chances of surviving. That's all. But I'd never be happy to be reaped." She then shoved more food in her mouth, and chewed with her mouth open. I had never heard so much from her before now. I wondered why she even bothered to answer me. She never seemed to even bother to notice I existed, let alone answer my question, especially with such honesty.

"Oh." I say, before popping a sugar cube in my mouth. That's when Zeium brings in our mentors, and they sit down. Isabell's Mentor and stylist will be coaching her, and My mentor and my stylist will be coaching me. Zieum will hop back and forth between the two of us and our coaching to make sure we're all kept on schedule and successful in learning what our stylist and mentors have to teach us. Our stylists won't coach us for long though, since they have to go back to our prep teams and make sure our outfits are planned out correctly for the interviews tomorrow.

After we eat, we're taken to our rooms right away. I have an hour with my stylist Ophelia before she has to leave. She dressed me in a suit, telling me to make sure my collar doesn't pop up during the interview. This isn't the suit I'll be wearing, but it's nice they let me wear one before hand, because honestly I wasn't much use to wearing them. Then the next three hours I spend with Zieum. He makes sure I sit up straight, and smile. He tells me about how the capital always just adores a tribute like me, whatever that means. We spend a lot of time trying to teach me how to be what the capital considers desirable. How to wink at the audience and really mean it. Though Zeium has been a lot to deal with this last week, but then I realize that he was really just trying to help me.

I'm excused to lunch until Mags comes to find me. She joins me for lunch. We both eat sandwiches that are taller and longer than any sandwich ever should be. The next four hours We'll be talking about how I'll speak at the interview. After we eat, Mags takes me to the sitting room. Mags looks at me for a bit, then finally speaks.

"Charming." She says and I raise my eyebrows at her.

"Huh?" I question and she just smiled at me.

"Charming will be your go to. You'll be the capital's sweet heart, everyone's prince charming." I look at her like she's nuts, as I've done to her twice before, to be fair, she wasn't wrong the first few times she had an idea, though the thought of being the capitals little doll wasn't exactly suiting my fancy.

"Can't I just be myself Mags?" I ask with a soft sigh. "I mean, that's what they say, when in doubt be yourself." Mags laughs at me.

"If I knew more about who you were, then I'd say go for it. But I don't. What I do know, is that the capital loves a charming young man. They eat that up. And you out of anyone of those other tributes has the most potential to do that. You've done good so far, waving in the window on the train, smiling and winking on the chariot. You've already set the groundwork for becoming the capital's sweet heart, have you not noticed?" I listen to her wise words, and let them sink into my head before opening my mouth again.

"But Isabell does the same thing, in fact, I was just copying her!" I say when Mags gets up and walk away. I assume she's decided I was useless and given up on coaching me. At least, that's what I think until she comes back and tosses a magazine in front of me. I look down at it and notice that there's a pair of tributes on the cover. I guess each year in the capital the citizens there vote on who had the best costumes and such on the chariot. They put the winners on the cover. And I'm shocked to find its district four. Though, my district partner's face is turned away in the picture, and mine is the clear one on the cover.

I pick up the magazine and stare at it. To be fair I could argue that both Isabell and I were on the cover, but her face isn't in focus, and mine is.

"You gonna tell me now that the capital doesn't absolutely adore you?" Mags says and I looked up from the magazine.

"I mean...maybe they don't adore me, just the costumes, or-" Mags cuts me off.

"No, No, it's your face on that cover, and they can't even hardly wait to see what you have to say in the interviews tomorrow. That's why you're gonna be charming, and as desirable as you can be tomorrow." I nod at her, and agree. Mags has never steered me wrong yet. If I had to be charming and lovable, I would be.

Funny. Sexy. Charming. Desirable. Romantic even... These are the traits I would embrace from tomorrow. Mags then asks me a series of questions, and I try my best to answer what I think the audience would like to hear. My favorite thing about the capital, favorite color, things like that. I answer honestly at first, and Mags helps me create a capital version of my answer. I then wonder how I'll be able to get through the interviews tomorrow without Mags by my side.

We all eat dinner together. Not the stylists though. I guess they were much too busy with preparing our outfits tomorrow, that, or they just didn't want to eat with us. To be fair, I wasn't exactly talkative at dinner time, and Isabell wasn't exactly a delight to be around. We're ordered to get to bed straight after dinner to get our 'beauty' sleep for tomorrow. I lay in my bed every which way, thinking about the interviews tomorrow. I looked down at my token around my neck.

Annie would be watching these interviews as well. Could I really act like a charming sleaze bag on television with her watching? It is for my survival, but what if I disappoint her somehow. I sighed looking at my token. I missed her terribly. If I could just have one more glance at her, that would be everything. The thought of her smile helps me fall to sleep that night.

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Author's note: Thanks again everyone for reading!


	11. Chapter 11: The interview

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 11: The Interviews**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

When I'm woken, I find it's not Annie that wakes me from a nap on the beach, nor my mother telling me it's time for school or work. It's my brightly colored prep team. Ready and eager to throw me in whatever outfit my stylist Ophelia has chosen.

Together, my prep team works on my hair and skin. I'm a bit disoriented since they dragged me out of bed without breakfast, and went to work on me. I wasn't even sure about half of the things that they were doing, but I just let them, it was their job, surely they knew what they were doing. They put makeup on my face, but surprisingly nothing obnoxious like they did for the opening ceremony. After fussing over me for a bit, eventually Ophelia walks in with my suit. My prep team walk away from me and stand to the side as they watch Ophelia's every move, as though she was their God.

I put on my suit. At first glance, I saw it as the most tacky shiny thing I have ever seen in my life. I put it on anyways. Once it's on, and Ophelia guides me to a long tall mirror to look at myself, I notice all the dark blue sequins on my suit don't only shimmer, but they reflect the light. It looks almost exactly like the ocean. My prep team look at me in the mirror with awe, telling Ophelia that she has outdone herself yet again.

"It looks just like the Ocean." I comment, and Ophelia nods at me.

"Yes, that's what I had intended, you are from District Four after all." She says as a matter of factly. She may be just another snooty capital citizen, but she has captured the ocean perfectly in my blazer.

Ophelia eventually dismisses my prep team, and has me walk around in the suit, watching how the light reflects off of the dark blue sequins. After that, she decides to make conversation with me.

"So, you think you'll do good in the interviews?" She asks me with a raised eyebrow. I take my gaze off the suit to look up at her.

"Well, yeah, at least I think so...I mean, I know how to act. Charming, sexy, romantic, blah blah blah." I said, counting the traits on my fingers. I wasn't sure if I would remember how to be all of those things, or if I even knew how to be charming by the capital's standards at least. Ophelia laughs at me, and I wonder why. It seemed as though whenever I said anything in the capitol, people just laughed at me.

"Oh, Darling, you don't have to ACT those things, you ARE those things." I look at her like she was nuts. I wasn't any of those things. Sure Annie has told me I was charming many times, but I always just assumed she meant it as a joke. Was I ACTUALLY charming at all?

"No." I decided. "No, Ophelia, I'm not any of those things." When I say this, Ophelia makes me sit on the couch. She tells me how I've acted different from all the other tributes so far, how I wasn't arrogant like the careers, despite I could be with ease had I wanted to. How I wasn't pathetic or useless like the other sad tributes who so clearly didn't want to be here and would die in the blood bath. I was different from all of them, and I had a special charm about me that made the capital crazy for me already.

Mags has told me this, and now Ophelia too, was it really true? If the both of them thought so, maybe it was. Eventually, it was time for the interviews. I and the other tributes are escorted to where the interviews will take place. Zeium straightens my tie before we go backstage. He tells me how my suit is marvelous, and how everyone will want one just like it in the capital once they see me.

The 24 tributes all line up, and wait for their turn. As we line up, Isabell is in front of me, and her dress is a light blue, and it looks like a waterfall. It makes me thirsty. District five's girl stands behind me in line, and then behind her is a familiar face. August. I hadn't seen him since training, when I told him I couldn't be allies with him, I didn't want to get to know him to only have to kill him later. I still stand by that decision, but it feels weird to ignore him, with only one person acting as a wall between us.

In a few minutes, we are taken to our seats. I was thankful, because I didn't want to stand for twenty four interviews. The bad news about being taken to our seats, is we're still on stage, in the very back, but still in view of ALL of Panem, and these blazing lights shining down on us, making me sweat.

I know the show will start, as soon as I see a man, named Caesar Flickerman walks out. He has hot pink hair, and a suit to match. Even his eyebrows are pink. He's hosted the interviews for as long as I can remember, probably long before I was born. Now that I can see him in person, I try to guess how old he could be, but his face looked completely stiff, and not a wrinkle on it. He must have had surgery to make himself look younger, or at least the same age. I watch his pink hair as he greets the audience. That was when I realized he must have dyed his hair different each year, for each games.

Eventually, he gets on with the show, and they start with district one's girl tribute. Her name was Crystal. Her gown looks like it was made out of diamonds...well, most of it. Diamonds covered her more...intimate parts, And a cheer material was the rest of the dress, which left little to nothing for one's imagination. She had bright blue eyes that looked like crystals themselves, and short shoulder length hair, that was styled with diamonds. She only has three minutes to speak, and her voice annoys me.

District one's boy is next, then district two. I notice the both tributes of district two are matching, and both in blood red clothes and makeup. After them, District three is next. Caesar helps puts them at ease, since they were so clearly nervous. Next is Isabell. I watch her get up as District three's boy tribute sits down. She's a bit wobbly in high heels. I could tell she had never worn any until now.

My palms are sweating. In three minutes, I would be next. In three minutes, I had to remember to be charming, and sexy, and all these things I didn't believe I was. I was nervous. I look around, and I see the camera crew spread out here and there. All of Panem would be watching me...Not just Panem… Annie too. Annie would be watching...Maybe I can indirectly, give her some sort of message. To, somehow tell her that I love her, something I had never gotten to do, not really.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear the buzzer, indicating Isabell's turn was over, and it was my turn. I had no time to plan out what I would say, that would be of any significance to Annie. What could I say even?

I stand up when Isabell sit's down next to me, fidgeting in her waterfall like dress. I feel like my head is fuzzy, and the bright lights shining down on me didn't help either. As soon as I reach the stage, I walk on with as much confidence as I could muster up. Strong, sexy, and charming. Strong, sexy, and charming. I repeated in my head. Once I'm in view of the cameras,I wave to them with a small smirk. Caesar puts out his hand, and I take it in a firm shake.

We sit down in our seats. The audience cheers for much longer than they did the other tributes surprisingly. Once the timer for three minutes starts, Caesar hushes them, then directs his attention to me. Now that I'm closer to Cesar, I notice that his lips and eyes are also painted the same color as his hair. I couldn't notice before since I was far away, but close up, it was clear just how much makeup he had caked on his face.

"Finnick Odair!" He says with a grin that was so white, it was almost blinding. He then looks at a camera and fake whispers. "THE Finnick Odair!" He says, as though I was some celebrity he has been so eager to meet. "So, Finn, buddy. You made QUITE the splash at the opening ceremony, did you not?" He raises both of his hot pink eyebrows at me. I open my mouth to speak but the audience cheers in response to me.

Once they quieted down, I chuckled lightly, running my fingers through my hair, hoping that I didn't ruin the hard work my prep team did on my hair. "Yeah, at least that's what I've heard." I look off at the audience and wink, which leads them to go wild again. This charming thing was...a lot easier than I had ever thought it would have been.

Caesar laughs hysterically. "Did you like your whole, mermaid get up your stylists created for you?" He asks, and I take only a few seconds to think of what to say.

"Well, I make any outfit look good, so the matter of liking it wasn't a concern." I say with another smirk, and Caesar laughs again.

"And I'm sure you make all your outfits back home look just as good as well?" He asks me, and I nodded.

"Oh yeah. I make everything look good. My stylists are pretty lucky this year to have a model that's as good looking as I am." I flash a smile to the audience. It was working, this charming act, it was actually working, It felt so incredibly cheesey, but it worked. Caesar didn't bring up my score, which was a good thing, he seemed to only bring up things that benefited me.

The pink man settles down the crowd yet again, then looks at me. He looks me up and down. "So, I think it's safe to say, back home you swim often?" Yes! I think, a swimming question! I nodded quickly.

"Yeah, I go swimming every day." I almost forgot I was on television for a moment, and almost said how I went swimming with Annie every morning before school, that's when I remember that I decided I wouldn't share Annie with the capital, she was just for me, the one piece of me that the capital couldn't touch.

"I bet you're pretty toned under that suit as well? Which is not only good for your sponsors." He motions to the audience. "But also good for in the arena?" He said, and I nod with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah I suppose so." I grinned. We end up talking about fish for only a small bit, I talk about how my father and I are fishermen of a sort.

"So, it's safe to say you're hoping for an arena with a lot of water?" Caesar asks and puts the microphone up to my face. I nod again. I seemed to be nodding a lot.

"Yeah, yeah I am actually, but what district four tribute doesn't?" I say, and that earns me some chuckles. My time was wearing thin, and I still hadn't said anything about home to let Annie know that I'm thinking about her. I then wonder if Caesar could read my mind because of what he asks next.

"So, Finn. The Capital is DYING to know. Is Finnick Odair taken?" He asks, and the audience is completely silent, waiting for the answer. I debate on mentioning Annie. I decide against it though, but only partly.

"Well, I've got plenty of girls barking up my tree, so to speak, Caesar." I say with a laugh, and Caesar shakes his head with a smile.

"So is that a no, Finnick Odair is single and ready to mingle?" He asks and I chuckle only a bit in response. I look into the camera for a bit too long, I open my mouth about to say 'I'm single, but my heart isn't.' Right when the buzzer rings in my ears. I missed it. I missed my chance to let Annie know that I loved her.

I hear agonized cries from the audience, they were so wanting to know if I was free for the taking or not. I wondered why that bit of information would make any difference to them anyways.

"Aw! It would seem that we are out of time! And such a shame. Looks like we're gonna have to wait to see where your heart lies, huh?" His eyes bore into mine, and I only nod, unable to form words. I let the rush of the crowd get to me, and I almost told them about Annie. Which would only lead to interviews with her if I got into the final eight, as well as the rest of my friends and family. I didn't want that. Annie was mine, not the capitals. I smiled lightly and Shake Caesar's hand again.

"It's been a pleasure, Caesar." He smiles and shakes my hand as well.

"Best of luck." He tells me with the most genuine smile I have ever seen on a capitol person. "Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen! Finnick Odair of District Four!" The applause and cheers kept going even once I'm seated and the next tribute is up.

The next tribute, district five's girl tribute. I glance over at August, and give him a small smile, to be a little friendly, but not enough to say I'm sorry I was rude before...Not enough to say, I'm sorry, but I'm going to kill you…

I don't pay attention to any of the other tributes when it's their interview. Especially August. I didn't want to get to know him anymore than I already did since I'd have to watch him die. Same with the rest of the tributes. I look at my hands as I wait for the interviews to be over. Wishing so badly that I could have a rope in my hand to tie knots in and fidget with until the interviews are over.

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Author's note: Thanks for reading guys! (when you think about it, a rope to Finnick is equivalent to us with fidget spinners XD haha.)


	12. Chapter 12: Back Home

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 Back Home**

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 **(Annie P.O.V.)**

My hand picks up a small rock, smaller than my palm, and I watch as my hand chucks it into the water. I watch it skip a couple of times, then it sinks into the ocean. I was on the beach because my Father had kicked me out of the house after scolding me for looking so much like her. My mother that is. I don't really remember what she looked like since I was so young when she passed away, but my father, and a few others in town claim I look exactly like her. For me, that was a blessing, for my father a curse. I was a constant reminder to him that she was gone.

I threw another rock into the water and watched it sink. Finnick was a lot better at skipping rocks than I was. Today was the day that the capital would show us the interviews. He probably had gotten ready for the interviews all day. I look into the ocean that so reminded me of his eyes and wondered what he was doing, and if he was thinking of me. There was a shuffle in the and next to me. My first guess would be Finn, but he wasn't here, so it could only be Aegus.

"Heya Ann." He says before sitting next to me, plopping down in the sand in the most ungraceful way ever." I look over at him and give him half a smirk.

"Hey." I said, before looking back into the ocean. Aegus rambles on about some of the things he saw happen in town today. I didn't really listen though, until I hear him ask me a question.

"So, what'd you do today?" I let his question hang in the air for a bit before answering.

"I sold some nets Finn and I wove a few months ago. I actually sold almost all of them. I think people had pity for me, since they remembered I use to sell these with Finn, and remembered he was the tribute this year. I probably wouldn't have sold any other wise." I mumbled, then drew some spirals in the yellow brown sand with my fingers.

"O-Or! They really needed some new nets today! I mean, they're too buy to weave them themselves, even if they could do it as well as you do. I mean, I don't think it was pity...Pity is such a sad word...you know?" I nodded lightly.

"Yeah. I know." I sighed lightly. The sun lowers itself in the sky, quicker than I wanted it to. I didn't really wanna go home only to have my father yell at me. I could also watch the interviews in town square, I didn't necessarily have to go home.

"Wanna watch the games at my house?" He offers, I look over at him and study his face. It was a very kind offer. Though I didn't really wanna be shoved in a living room with his family. I smiled softly.

"Thanks, but I'd rather watch them alone." I stand up and squeeze his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow." I say before walking off the beach, leaving him on the beach. I knew that when I see Finn on the screen, I'll cry. I didn't really want to cry in front of him and his family. I'd rather cry in the privacy of my own home. I sneak inside my house, and find my father is passed out on the couch. I carefully go over to the television, and click it on. I sit in front of it, and wait for the interviews to begin.

The interviews began, and I looked at District one and two. They were much older than Finn. They were a lot bigger than him as well. District one's girl was more on the slim side. But the boy from one, and both tributes from two were large, and could easily break someone like me in half. Though Finn wasn't small like me, and he could get away I think. District three didn't seem like too much of a threat.

Then, before I knew it, I saw finnick on the stage. He looked like he was the ocean in the suit he was wearing. Though, it didn't really seem like his style, I still wished I could reach through the television screen, and touch the shiny stuff on his suit. Not nearly as bad as I wanted to reach through the screen and bring him home though.

The crowd in the capital seems to really like him. That was a really good sign. Caesar, the host, and Finnick talk for a bit. Each smiling at the other's response. It was so satisfying to see Finnick there, and in one piece and okay. The next time I see him, it'll be in the arena...the next time I see him on screen, he could be dead.

"So, finn. The Capital is DYING to know. Is Finnick Odair taken?" I hear the host as Finnick. I perk up slightly, curious as to what he'll say.

"Well, I've got plenty of girls barking up my tree, so to speak, Caesar." I hear Finn say with a laugh, it was true, everyone at school would die for him, but having all these people throw themselves at him always seemed to annoy him. In fact, he only started liking me because I didn't like him at first, which almost shocked him.

The way Finnick smiled wasn't too genuine. I could tell, but I'm sure everyone else couldn't.

"So is that a no, Finnick Odair is single and ready to mingle?" Caesar says, and I furrowed my eyebrows. What did he even mean like that? Did they expect him to have some sort of romance in the arena? Nothing like that had ever happened before...perhaps he just said that to interest the people in the capital. The interviews were for them anyways.

The camera zooms in on Finnick's face closely as he's about to answer. His mouth opens, but a buzzer sounds. That's it. Finnick's turn was over, This is the last time I'll see him in one piece. I bite my lower lip as I watch him leave the stage.

"Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen! Finnick Odair of District Four!" The host says with a smile. I wished the interviews wouldn't end. If the interviews kept going, I'd know Finnick would be okay. Once the games start, it will be hell. Weeks, and weeks of hell.

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Aegus POV:

After I leave the beach, I sit down with my family in the living room. We watched the interviews and my family watches, makes a few comments here and there on the tributes. A bunch of comments I didn't much care for.

My older brother nudged me lightly in the side. "Hey, isn't four's tribute the one I've seen you with a few times?" I nodded.

"Yeah. He's my friend." My family grew quiet after that. They watched Finnick's interview and after said that was unfortunate for my friend. I nodded in agreement listening to his words. He didn't even mention Annie. Though when we said goodbye, after he was reaped, he made sure I'd check up on Annie. I still remember how serious his tone was.

After the interviews, I go to my room, and wonder why my best friend didn't think to mention the girl he spent pretty much every waking moment of his life with. He certainly had enough time to answer the host. So why didn't he?

I pick up a ball I had in my room, and toss it on the wall, watching it bounce back to my. I catch it, and throw it, and catch, and throw. That's when it hit me. Finnick didn't mention Annie for a reason maybe. If Finnick got down to the final eight in the arena, and interviewers came to talk to his friends and family, they would surely want to talk to Annie.

I couldn't help but wonder why this was such a big deal? Why did he go to such lengths to hide Annie from everyone? I toss the ball at the wall again and catch it. I'd have to ask Annie why, maybe even she didn't know.

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Author's note: Sorry that was such a short chapter. I figured it was about time for an Annie POV, what'd you think of Aegus POV? Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, and I won't be able to update until next week as well since I'll be camping. Any who, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to review! Let me know what you like and what you don't like, thanks everyone! :)


	13. Chapter 13: The Arena

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 13: The Arena**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

The interviews are over. The next time I see my fellow tributes, it'll be in the arena. Though, Isabell and I are taken back to our floor. After taking off the makeup and clothing, I hop in the shower and watch water circle in the drain. I go to reach my necklace, and forget it's not there. After I undressed, my stylist Ophelia demanded it. She promised she'd give it back. They just had to make sure it wasn't a weapon.

I get out of the shower and make my way to the dining hall. We eat dinner and watch the reruns of the interviews. I'm supposed to be taking mental notes on my competition, but I don't. This day was going much too quickly for my liking. In twenty four hours I'd be in the arena. I'd either be dead, or in some sort of shelter I hoped.

We're sent to our rooms, but I know sleep won't be an option for me. I creep out of my room after a while, and re watch the reapings. Just to see Annie again. Though she's forever burned in my memory, I know that I won't get to see her again. I took our friendship for granted. I didn't really. But I felt like there was so much more her and I should have done, like our whole lives so far just wasn't enough time spent with her.

I couldn't die. I already decided that I would try my best to win. Not because I was scared of dying, but because I don't want Annie to have to watch me die. I know it will ruin her. I want to say that Annie is strong. But I know deep down that she's fragile. I watch the screen as I just barely see Annie's head in the crowd. The sun shining on her brown hair, almost giving the illusion of it glowing. The ribbon in her hair. Her standing so close to me. Aegus was standing close to me as well. Some other kids were close to us too, it would be hard to actually tell which of the bunch were my actual friends from an outsider's perspective.

I watch myself leave her in the crowd and my heart breaks. I'm so distracted that I didn't even notice Mags walking into the room and observing me, until annie is no longer in the background, and the screen shows Isabell and I shaking hands.

"You got what it takes you know." she blurts out, which cases me to turn my head and look at her.

"What?" I say in confusion, looking at her. She wobbles over and sits down next to me. She was pretty old. She must have seen at least 50 tributes go into the arena and die. I think about how that must get old pretty quickly, and how I'll have to do the same job if I win.

"You got what it takes to win. I know. I've had two of my tributes win. Two out of...heaven knows how many." she says looking off in thought, probably about how many tributes she's bonded with only to watch them die. I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, You probably tell all your tributes you mentor that." Mags scoffs and mumbles something I can't quite understand.

"I mean it you know. I have every faith in you that you'll be this year's victor. I was right about Tatum. I mentored him." She says, and I think back to his games, he was much older than me and had so many better odds, he was a career as well.

"Yeah, I'm sure a fourteen year old kid like me will win." I say, sinking down into the sofa. Maybe the odds were against me. But I would try, I already decided that much, though the more Mags tries to convince me I'll win, the more I doubt myself.

"You will." she says. "And when you come back as victor, I'll say I told you so." she chuckles lightly. "Now get to bed, this is the last night you will have one, who knows where you'll be sleeping tomorrow." I listen to her, and head to bed, her words didn't put me at ease at all though. In fact, her words echoing in my head kept me up for most of the night.

I wonder what the arena would be like. I might not win if it's not mostly water. A forest would be no good, a desert waste land would be terrible. Spearing an animal on land can't be too different than a fish in water can it? These thoughts spiral in my head until I get maybe an hour of two of actual sleep.

Maggs will go to the Games headquarters once I go to the arena, same with Tatum, and Zeium. I don't care much about the others, but I'm hoping to at least say goodbye to Mags, and thank her for believing in me.

We're not allowed breakfast as an avox escorts both Isabell and I to the roof, where our mentors and Zeium is waiting for us. Zeium is nearly in tears, telling us how it's such a shame one or both of our pretty faces will be no more. Though, I'm not sure it's much of a compliment, but I tell him thank you anyways, because he did seem to care at least a little in the time that we've been forced to spend together.

Isabell and Tatum are talking. I walk over to Mags and she gives me a lovely smile. She was a tough nut to crack, but I've finally decided she was great, and clearly the better mentor to have.

"Thanks." I say softly, and she nods, putting a shaking hand on my shoulder and grips it. What happens next surprises me, and she hugs me.

"Remember I have faith in you, don't let me down, Odair. I'm always right." I chuckled lightly when we pull away from the hug.

"Alright Mags." My stylist and Isabell's then escort us to a hovercraft on the roof.

As soon as my district partner and I grab onto the ladder, time stops...or maybe just we do. A woman with magenta hair and a lot of piercings in her face walks up to us, the white coat with the crazy hair and face throws me off a bit. She says nothing, and sticks a large needle in Isabell's arm. She doesn't move, not that she could, but I assume that means the needle doesn't hurt. I assumed wrong. The needle digs into my forearm, and when it's pulled out, a lump stays under my skin.

"Your tracker." The woman says then turns off the ladder thing and Isabell and I can move again. After that, they take us to the catacombs which is under the arena. For the next few hours, we get to eat with out stylists, and they'll give us the uniform we'll wear in the arena, and I'll finally get my token back, at least I hope.

I eat breakfast in a hurry. Trying to stuff as much as I can, because who knows when I'll see food next. After eating, I'm lead somewhere underground. We're in the preparation chamber now. We had an hour until the games started. In just an hour...I could be dead. I end up showering because I wouldn't get to use a shower for a while after this. No makeup, but my stylist does do my hair, and fusses over it until my clothes arrive. I look at the outfit, and try to guess what the arena will be this year. It's very thin material that's meant to breathe. It's pretty similar to a wet suit I have at home. _Does this possibly mean the arena will have lots of water after all?_ I could only hope so. Once I'm dressed, Ophelia takes out my token, and puts it around my neck.

"Told ya I'd give it back." she says with a small smirk. I smirk back, and take it in my hands and look at the sea shell. [i] 'Hey, Finn, look at this cool shell!' I hear Annie's voice echo in my head and her giggle, from the day we found those shells on the beach a few years ago.

"Thanks." I tell Ophelia, and I notice she's looking at my kind of strange. The kind of look your parents give you after you've been reaped. The kind of look you give your sick grandmother on her deathbed. Ophelia was preparing herself for my death. I can't say I blame her, I am just a kid after all, no one as young as me has ever won the games. The victor's are usually ages sixteen to eighteen.

I don't try to convince her I'll win, considering even I doubt myself. We just sit in silence for a bit. She offers me more food, but I refuse. I pace around the room a bit.

"Remember to find a water source." Ophelia says, looking at her nails. I scoff and laugh lightly. This causes her to look up at me, as though I were crazy for laughing, and I am, anyone else who was sent off to their death wouldn't be laughing only moments before just as I am.

"Ophelia, I won't LEAVE the water source." I laugh again, though if we only had one water source, that wouldn't be exactly true. The careers usually guarded the water source, there's no way they wouldn't kill me on spot. Ophelia stands up and hugs me tightly.

"It's been an honor to have you wear my clothes, good luck in there, okay?" She says, and worry is in her voice. She was such a confident woman before. She was so confident around the prep team, but now she seemed so...human. I only nod.

"Thanks Ophelia." The cylinder behind us opens up, and I know it's time for me to step into the tube. In minutes, I'll be shot up from the tube and into the arena that will either be the place of my death, or victory. As soon as the cylinder stops, and I feel hot air on me, I open my eyes. The arena. I look around, then down at the plate at my feet, if I moved, it could explode, I'd have to wait for the count down, in this time, I let my eyes adjust to the light. I almost fall off the plate as I realize, water is not around me, or land, or ice, or sand...just...Air.

I'm standing on a small platform lifted into the air. I look around me and I see the other tributes on their pedestals as well. If we jumped off, it would break all your bones in your body, only the ones that could climb would be at advantage now. I try to see what lies below, and I can see a bunch of trees and...water surrounding the trees! A river running right through it. After observing the arena for a full minute, I hear a loud voice, that can be no other but this year's game maker.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the sixty fifth hunger Games begin!

Author's note: So, The hunger games Wiki says the 65th hunger games was tropical, which kind of disappoints me because catching fire had a tropical arena as well, but I'll try to make it as different as I can. :) Anywho, thank you again everyone for reviewing I really really appreciate it! And I'll be back to updating every other day or so, sorry this chapter took so long. Let the games begin!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 14: The Games**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

I manage to keep my balance when I hear the countdown. The countdown starts at sixty. I had sixty seconds to decide how I was gonna climb down from here. I glance down again, which makes me kinda dizzy, and I look at the tube I had just raised up from. It looks too smooth to be able to get a grip on, and climb down. I'm looking down still as I notice a rope tied to the base of the tube, and another, and another. I squint and my eyes follow the rope. All our tubes seemed to be tied together...and joined at the Cornucopia.

I look again, and all ropes are joined together here and there, almost like a giant spider web. I squint again, and notice some things are tied to the rope here and there as the ropes got closer and closer to the Cornucopia… The Cornucopia! This whole time I had been thinking about getting down, and not getting a weapon. I look at how far away it is, and decide I don't need one, I could always use a stick for a spear.

The countdown is at ten now. As soon as it hit one, I'd climb down and run as far away as I could till I met the water that surrounded the trees.

"Five...Four…" BOOM… A loud boom could be heard from the other side of the Cornucopia. I guess someone either fell off the platform before we could reach one, or jumped off committing suicide right away. Either way, they're surely dead, from the explosion, and the fall. One less tribute to worry about, as well as a distraction. My fellow tributes are still looking that way when the countdown reached one. I take this distraction to jump, grab onto a rope, climb on it, jump, grab another rope, climb across it. I'm pretty fast, and I'm luckily not too heavy for the ropes.

Mentally, I'm thankful there was ropes, and that I could climb. Once my feet hit the ground, I debate on taking some rope with me, if I even untied my pole,it would ruin the rest of the webs of rope for everyone. No one would be able to climb down. I look at everyone else still struggling to climb down, except district one's boy. He's already in the cornucopia. There's no time. I decide to run before I'm brought to his attention. I run through the jungle.

A jungle. A humid, tropical island,with an ocean surrounding it. I really did have a shot at this. I run until I feel sand under my shoes. I'm panting now. It was a small island, but to run as fast as I did knocked the wind right out of me.

BOOM... BOOM...BOOM...BOOM…The that some tributes have died in the blood bath….BOOM.

That's when I remember that I'm weaponless, without fresh water, or shelter. Surely the river had fresh water. That was one down, next was shelter, but I had better find some sort of weapon first.

The unforgiving red sun beats down on me, as I look around some rocks near the water. Something. Anything. I look until I find a rather large rock. I keep looking around me, to make sure no other tributes have made it this way. I take the rock, and pound it on another larger rock, a rock almost as tall as I am. Waves splash over my shoes. I keep cracking the rock, gritting my teeth as I do so, until it breaks in not two, but three pieces. I run my hands across the three shards of rock, finding the one with the sharpest edge. Once I have, I run back into the jungle, watching sand turn into dirt under my fleeting feet.

I climb the first tree I come into contact to. I climb it til I find a thin branch that's just barely thick enough to be a spear. I go to the base of the branch, and wrap myself around the tree, scraping the sharp edge of the rock at the base. This would have been so much easier if I just grabbed a knife from the cornucopia. But, if I had, surely the district one's boy would have killed me by now.

Beads of sweat form on my brow. I had to work quickly so I could find shelter. I sigh in relief once the branch breaks free from the tree, and jump down, landing on my feet. I have the rock still in one hand, and the stick in the other. I reach up and grab a vine. I pull until it breaks free too, then I run back to the beach. Since I didn't have any rope, a find would have to do, or some tall grass if I could find any.

Once I'm at the beach, my mind is scrambled. Water at the river, almost a weapon...beach would have some fish, food supply...now all I needed was some shelter… I jog around the perimeter of the beach as quickly as I can. It's hot in this arena. The outfit I had on didn't really do much with helping keeping me cool. I run and run for a long while, until I stumble upon a waterfall. I had never seen a waterfall in real life before. Just in the games. For now, it would do me best to find shelter somewhere near it, so I could be close to water.

I look around, there's nothing but jungle and rocks all around. I walk along the rocks, until I get closer to the waterfall. Perhaps I could hide behind the waterfall? I go behind it and inspect, even being close to the waterfall cools me off a bit. When I've gone behind it, I see a cave...A cave with the waterfall for a door...It would be a good shelter, but if I was able to stumble across it so quickly, wouldn't another tribute as well?

It would have to do for now, I was pretty beat from running around all morning. I sit down on a rock, and lay down the vine, the stick, and the rock. Despite the arena almost seemingly to have been built for me, the odds were still not in my favor. I still wasn't as strong as the others, despite I was strong for fourteen years old, and the only weapons I have is a rock a stick and a vine. I pick up the stick and look at the end. Maybe I could sharpen it with the rock.

I work on the stick with the rock for as long as I can before my hands grow tired of it. I wanted to make sure it would be good for a weapon, though it probably wouldn't be so good of a spear against another person, but for fishing, it would do. It was no trident, but it would do.

* * *

Annie POV

I decided to watch the games in town. I was rather sick of being home. I didn't want to burden Aegus either by showing up in his home. I slip on Finn's jacket because the ocean breeze would be quite chilly at this time. I could watch the games with my father, but I knew all he would do is make comments about Finnick, how he was going to die, and 'good riddance' My father didn't like Finnick at all. A few years ago, when Finnick walked me home one night, my father yelled at me for staying out so late and with a boy. He threw a bottle at me. Finnick wasn't too happy about it and told him off. After that, Finnick and my father were never on good terms.

I walk into town square, wave at a few people who recognize me as the girl who sells nets she wove on the weekends. I was glad that other than that, I didn't know too many people in town. I stand in the square where they show the games for those who don't own a television at home, though I'd say about 98% of people in District four did.

I bit my lower lip as I watched two of the hosts talk about what they think the arena will be like this year. They grin with excitement when the games finally start, and they show us our tributes who are standing on nothing but the platform they raised from. They flash from face to face of the tributes, I bite down on my lip hard enough to bleed when I see Finnick. He's looking around, and I can tell he's already whipping up a plan in his head.

They flash to other tributes, but I so desperately wish they would only show Finnick. The screen is counting down, the audience gasp when they see a tribute has fainted and fallen right off the platform. A tribute is supposed to stay in place until the countdown is over. If you move your weight off the platform at all your legs would be surely blown off. I guess the tribute was afraid of heights or something. Her legs explode everywhere, a few seconds later the countdown is over.

The other tributes take a minute to look at the other tribute who has just turned into confetti around them, and suddenly the screen cuts to Finnick hopping around on the ropes like a monkey. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that he had taken the opportunity to get out of there. He's pretty quick, and he does exactly what I think he would do. He finds some useful items for a makeshift weapon, shelter, and a water source.

I had no doubts at all he would survive the bloodbath, though I hear a few adults behind me groaning and cheering.

"Told you the kid would survive the bloodbath, cough up the dough!" They exchange bet money and I sigh. This all made me so sick. People were betting that my best friend would die in the first few minutes of the games. Obviously they didn't know him at all. Boy would he show them if he won...I'm sure he'll win…

They cut to the blood bath. Three careers are picking off some of the tributes that had fell and survived. Though, most of the ones that fell are so badly injured that they would probably die on their own had they just left them. I watch as District Four's girl tribute takes a knife and slits a boy's throat. The boy looks about my age. He tried to crawl away from her, wincing. His legs looked pretty broken from the fall though. District two's boy ends up running out of the Cornucopia to throw a machete at another tribute who is hanging from a rope, and reaching for a backpack that's hanging from a rope near by. He misses and ends up throwing some knives. A few miss the tribute. As soon as she's grabbed the backpack, He finally hit her in the chest with a knife. She falls to the ground and her cannon goes off. She's still clutching the back page as the career prys it from her hands and leaves her body.

The bloodbath was awful. I was thankful that Finnick didn't have to see it, or get caught up in it. The careers all meet up inside the Cornucopia after collecting supplies from the spider web rope fixture around them, so no other remaining tributes can take them. They talk about what weapons belonged to whom. They stored the food in different places, made sure some guards were here and there.

The careers this year consisted of blank people, Both tributes from Districts one and two, The female tribute from four, and a male tribute from district seven. Normally district seven's tributes weren't a part of the careers, but somehow this guy got in. Speaking of, the district seven's male tribute picks up a silver axe and smirks.

"This baby is mine!" He says smirking at it. There's something about him that has the perfect amount of evilness for a career. Finnick could never possess as much evil as any of them. I know he will have to kill some people to get out of that arena. But he won't do it with an evil smirk on his face like the careers.

After they show the careers, they show some other tributes. When it gets dark out, they show the tributes that died in the blood bath. They show the remaining tributes reactions to them. They show some other tributes, who are mostly in trees, or walking around looking for some form of shelter. They then show Finnick looking at the sky they show District 5's male tribute and Finnick sighs sadly at the sky. He has that look on his face. Others would confuse it for a look of sadness, but I knew Finn's facial expressions better than anyone. It was guilt. Why was Finnick so beat up over a tribute in district five? He couldn't have possibly have known him, could he?

When they show district seven's boy tribute's district partner in the sky, he looks away almost with guilt, much like Finnick did moments ago. I assume that means he must have known her, they were from the same district after all. But, if he had, why would he let the other careers kill her?

Finnick slumps down against a wall in his cave under the waterfall. I'm thankful there's cameras in there so we can see him. They only show him for a moment though, they show him grinding a rock against the rock wall, making it sharper I suppose. I wonder how much use a sharp rock could actually do for him. They focus on other tributes. I find it hard to watch the other tributes. I wait for any moment for them to show Finn again, but they don't.

The careers settle in for the night, saying they'll hunt down the others tomorrow, give them a little time to spread out, more of a challenge that way. I don't like the boy from district one with the grey eyes that are so cold, cold like rocks on the beach at night. He seemed ruthless, and if Finnick ever ran into him, I'm not sure how that would play out. When most all of the tributes are settled in, they go back to the hosts, who talk about how fabulous this year is gonna be.

I head back to my house, wondering if Finn is still working on getting that rock sharp. They won't show us the rest until tomorrow, to give us the viewers some time to sleep, They'll show what we missed if anything interesting happened in the arena tomorrow. But, I still worry. What if another tributes finds Finn's cave, what if they kill him in his sleep? Then I won't know until morning.

The thought of Finnick being killed at any moments keeps me wide awake. I don't sleep at all this night, though I probably could kiss sleeping well goodbye at this point anyways. I don't close my eyes until the sun comes up. Only then do I sleep for a few minutes since my eyes can't stand to be open any longer.

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Author's note: So, what did you guys think about the arena? Good? Not good? Let me know if you like it so far! Also, what do you think will happen next? Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	15. Chapter 15: Axe Man

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Axe man**

* * *

 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

Nine died in the blood bath. That leaves fifteen of us left. One of the nine that died was August. He could have survived had I ran over and helped him. If I had just helped him out, and leave, he would have had a shot. I think about how the kid was terrible at nearly every station in training. No, maybe he wouldn't have had a shot. Not without me as an ally, whether I was his ally or not, there's that chance that I might have to have killed him. I try to convince myself that it's better this way, but guilt of his death plagues me in my sleep.

Before I went to bed, I grinded the rock shard against the cave wall until it was sharp enough. It wouldn't be anywhere nearly effective as a knife would be, but it's all I've got. I didn't sleep much that night. I was almost shocked that no other tribute had sneeked behind the waterfall for shelter that night. I wouldn't chance it another night though, I'd have to find a new shelter soon.

When morning comes, and the sun is just barely peeking over the horizon, I began to weave a net out of the vines I took from the jungle yesterday. It's not a perfect net. It's better than any other tribute could have made in this whole arena, though I can't help but imagine how much better it would look if it was Annie that had woven it.

Annie. How was she doing? Was she watching me now? Is she worrying? Is she sleeping well at all? Has me surviving the first day put her at ease at the very least? I wonder this as I sling the makeshift net over my shoulder, and grab my stick, and tuck the sharp rock in the black belt around my waist. I walk around the waterfall, which sprays a light cool mist on my face as I go around it, in the small gap between the wall of rock and the stream of water. As soon as I leave my safe haven of a cave, a wave of heat hits me.

The waterfall kept the cave nice and cool, and sheltered me from the heat outside. District four has had some pretty hot days, but never anything like this. I may have to stay with my shelter behind the waterfall after all to avoid heat stroke. Though, I can't much defend myself and my shelter with a sorry excuse of a spear. I look at the stick, that has a point that's not nearly sharp enough. I sighed at it, but carried on walking along the rocks. I so desperately wanted to take off my shoes, to get a better grip on the rocks. But, leaving any of my belongings anywhere would lead the careers or other tributes to me, and I couldn't have that.

I walk along the small river and peered into it. Plenty of fish swam in it. Not any fish that were too familiar to me though. I had never seen fish like this in my entire life...This leads me to believe that some of the fish could very well be poisonous. Are freshwater fish poisonous? I didn't know too much about river streams or ponds, just the ocean. Instead of catching some strange river fish, I decided to follow the river til it lead to the ocean. Hopefully no other tribute claimed the beach. The other tributes have probably never seen an ocean in their whole lives, except Isabel of course.

This stick is a lot harder to get use to. I fail the first five times, probably losing whatever sponsors I had. That's when I pull the net back out of the water, I take the sharp rock out of my belt and tear some of the net off the edge and use it to tie the rock to the end of the stick. The rock was far too heavy for the stick to hold. I tied the the vines around the stick and the rock as tightly as I could and held the weight of it together. It wasn't as heavy as a trident, but it was better. I then spot a fish that also looks strange, nothing like district four. I suppose these fish were genetically altered somehow specifically for the games. It struggles in the net and I toss the spear at it, impaling it on the first shot. After that, it was easy.

Again, and again, I catch fish after fish. Just enough to eat, I didn't want to have to carry the fish around if I had caught too much. All the fish on the stick now, I pull up the net and tie it to the makeshift spear, and around my body for easy carrying. I head back to the waterfall. I didn't wanna make a fire near the waterfall. That would attract the careers and they would gun right for me. I look around and decide to climb up the rocks that were dry near the waterfall. From up above I would look around for the best spot to build a fire. Once I get to the top, I cautiously walk around. I find a nice spot with no one around. I haven't ran into another tribute at all yet. This lead me to wonder just how big this arena was, or if they were hiding in plain sight and I may have missed them.

Right as I set the stick of speared fish down, I hear an above branch crack. I look up and see absolutely nothing…Could it be another tribute? Hiding for fear I'll kill them, or waiting to attack…? I slowly back for my spear that's completely useless at the moment as it's covered in fish. I would have to abandon my breakfast if I wanted to use the stick to stab someone with. I look up in the trees that the tree branch had cracked before. All I see is green all around, all over the trees.

"Hello…?" I call out softly, wondering if I'm crazy or not. Another crack on the branch and suddenly two giant yellow eyes are looking down at me. I stumble backwards, the sudden movement I make, makes the creature in the tree jump to the ground and look at me with it's yellow eyes that seemed so...hungry…

It was a giant...cat? Like a leopard or panther, or whatever like I've seen in games before. Only, this one had dark hunter's green fur, with yellow eyes. I saw as it eyes my fish and it began to circle me.

"Oh no kitty, this is my breakfast, I caught it fair and square." I say as I too began to circle, we're both walking in a big circle. I walk to the left, the cat walks to the right, our eyes never leaving each other. The cat would pounce on me at any moment, and here I am making eye contact, and challenging this...mutt. That's when the giant green cat stops and it's mouth outstretched...no, mouths. It had TWO mouths. One underneath the other.

"RWARRRRRRRRRR!" It roared loudly. Not only grabbing attention of any close by tributes, but also letting me know it was about to attack me. That's when I decided I could easily get more fish. The thought of dying by a mutt wasn't the way I wanted to go. I pop the spear head off the stick and toss it in front of the cat.

"Well uh...since you asked so nicely…" I say before backing up slowly. The cat paid no attention to me now that it had what it wanted. Though, it could have more meat if it decided to attack and eat me, I was just thankful it was satisfied with the fish. As soon as I'm a good distance away, I run from the cat mutation. I run until I make it back to the safety of the beach.

I sigh lightly. "That...was a close one." I mutter under my breath before noticing now that I no longer had a stick, just the sharp rock/ spearhead, and the net around me, that's now falling apart from when I tore a piece off of it earlier to tie the spear head to the stick. Great. I was nearly weaponless, and some giant cat stole my breakfast. I walk to the shore of the beach and climb onto some rocks. I'd just have to find myself some mussels and eat those for breakfast, at least those won't attract any muts, or at least I hope not.

* * *

For about an hour, I collect as many mussels as my net will hold. I crack open a few and eat them here and there. I decide to bring the rest with me for lunch. It was pretty hot out here, going back to the waterfall sounds nice, but I wasn't sure if it was going to be a safe place forever, though no one's found it so far. I'm sitting on a rock eating a few more mussels when I hear a cannon go off. Another tribute was killed, and close by too.

That's my signal to start moving. I gather up the rest of the mussels and the spear head. I'd have to get a new stick for a spear later, right now it was more important I get out of the area. I climb down the rocks, and that's when I hear a woosh next to my head, and an axe crashes into the rock next to me. If I wasn't so shocked from the object coming out of nowhere, I would have grabbed it, but I didn't, because the next thing I knew, a boy was swinging another one at me.

It was the boy tribute from district seven. I wonder for a moment how he got a hold of an axe. I move out of the way and he hits the rock with that Axe as well. He takes that moment to grab the other axe he threw at me, now armed with an axe in each arm, he's turned around and facing me. I back away from him quickly, and he's just as quick to catch up to me, I keep my eyes on him.

"Uh...hey, how about an alliance?" I raise both of my eyebrows, as well as my hands to show I mean no harm, not that I could, this guy was armed with two weapons, weapons which he was probably used to using, since he's from the lumber district. He just smiles and shakes his head.

"Not today mermaid boy." He aims his axe for my head as though I were a tree he was preparing to cut down. I duck and his swing of the axe sends him flying to the left. So far, I've gotten to day two without killing, or being killed, maybe today that would change. It takes him all of three seconds to get ready to swing at me again, but I'm already outta there. I head for the woods, hoping I could lose him.

I run in a zig zaggy way, around some of the trees. I could climb a tree, but if he saw me climb up one, he could probably easily cut it down. I hear him behind me, his footsteps loud on the jungle floor, stomping after me. I never considered myself a good runner, pretty average, but I must be better than him since I've managed to run ahead of him. I continue to be observant of my surroundings, for other tributes, for mutts, or whatever else the game makers decide to throw at us.

As I'm running, all I see is green. I look behind me and I see that the district seven tribute is far behind, but from the sounds of his feet, I could tell he won't be for long. I climb up the nearest tree, and climb as high as I could, I slow down my breathing, and try to calm myself by telling myself that I'm back home climbing Annie's tree, not in the games, This seems to work since my breathing has slowed down almost to normal once I settle on a branch. I look down and watch for him. He rubs right past me. I sigh and climb down once he's out of sight, that's when I notice I'm not alone. A few other careers are there. They're the ones from district one. That's when the tribute that was chasing me before comes back and laughs.

"Told you he'd fall for it." They must have assumed I'd climb back down when I saw him running past my tree. I pull out the shard of rock that was in my belt, my only form of a weapon. The District one's boy approaches me. His eyes are so grey, they're almost inhuman like. He looks at the rock in my hand then laughs.

"You call that a weapon? Cute." He shoves me against the tree I had just climbed down. "So. This is Finnick Odair? The one the capital has been ranting and raving about?" He laughs again, his laugh seems very forced. Like, he was a serious guy, and just putting on a show, which, really what is the hunger games if not a show?

"Yeah, apparently he's the sexiest tribute this year, or so the capital says." Crystal says before flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. It was clear she had jealousy laced in her voice. With how little of clothing she wore for both the opening ceremony and the interviews, sexy must have been her angle, and I stole the spotlight. She stands next to district one's male tribute now and pokes me on the nose.

"He seems pretty cute to me, not sexy at all." She then pinches my cheek and I violently shove her hand away from me.

"Cut it out!" I say, and glare my green eyes over at her. She just smiles at me, as if to say "Cute" Again, my threats will mean nothing to them. I should have known the lumber district's tribute was working with them, what with the silver axes he probably got from the Cornucopia.

"So. shall we skin him maybe? Or just a quick cut to the throat?" That's when the male career puts his knife up to my throat, he digs the blade into my skin, just barely enough to break the skin, just barely.

Crystal was saying some other gorey way to mutilate my body, and that's when I realized I still had the rock in my hand. They disregarded it as a weapon so much so, they didn't feel the need to make me drop it. I toss the rock at her head, which causes the male career to move the blade from my throat to turn and look at her, that's when I take his arm and twist it around behind him. He lets go of the knife with ease, I take it from him, and District Seven's tribute swings his axe right at my head, I still have the male career's arm twisted painfully behind him, I move his body in the way of the axe and it hits him instead of me.

Crystal's head is bleeding, she's on the ground and her jaw dropped by seeing the lumber kid axe her district partner, the axe still in him he drops to the ground and spits up blood, I take this distraction and run. I run even though I don't hear anyone running after me. I can only wonder why? If someone had killed my ally, surely I would try to avenge them? I run and I make sure I'm not seen as I go back to my safe haven in the waterfall. I'm panting and leaning against the cool cave wall.

I can't believe I got out of that situation. I continue to pant and look down at the silver my fist is still clutched around. Well, at least I got a weapon now. I feel the cut on my throat. It was very thin, it would heal. I close my eyes and I see the axe dig into the boy's back. The boy that was so much taller than me, had more muscles than me even, and I was able to twist his arm behind him. And...kill him...Did I really kill him? Or could I blame that kill on the District seven tribute? Would the careers kill him after they found out what happened? I shouldn't care, but he did try to kill me after all.

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Author's note: Sorry it took me so long to update, I just kinda got busy, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I think I'm gonna only update once a week, and I'm gonna stick to it, sorry I'm so inconsistent with updating. Anywho, thank you guys for updating! Shout out to Saltonwounds, DaughterofAthena2004, and Doraviolet1 for reviewing! It really motivates me to write more! thanks for reading!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: My Token**

* * *

 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

Once I've decided that the tributes weren't hunting me down, or at least not in the right place, I take a quick rinse in the waterfall. I unzip my tunic and set it on a near by rock with the knife. I walk through the waterfall and let the cold water run down my body. It's really relaxing. To anyone that was use to hot running water it would be terrible, but for me it reminds me of a cold shower back home in District four, after a long day at work on the beach with my father catching fish.

After I shower and dry, I put my clothes back on, and run my fingers through my damp hair. I might not make it through these games. Sure I over powered a career and got him killed, and tricked the other into killing his ally, but I couldn't do that with every encounter with them, could I?

I had eaten all the mussels from this morning, and lost the net I was carrying them in down by the beach. Without a doubt the careers had found it and looked over there for me. Lucky for me I was far from there. I yawned lightly as I watched the sky for the fallen tributes, knife in my hand. They show them in order of district, so I see the one that I was at fault for killing first, if you could even really say I killed him.

Oddly enough, I didn't feel much guilt. Maybe because he was going to kill me first, or it wasn't my hand that axed him, which reason I wasn't sure. They show three more tributes that I didn't recognize. That's four more down plus the six that died in the blood bath yesterday. That only leaves eleven of us left. Three more deaths, and I make it into the final eight. As I do the math in my head, a package with a white parachute floats down and lands on the rocks next to the waterfall. This must be the first thing my sponsors gave me.

It's dinner. That fettuccine I liked so much, some broccoli, bread from my district, butter, and a few other things. I looked up and say "Thank you!" Before taking it into the cave with me. I could easily find food in the arena, though I was very thankful for the dinner, despite I didn't need it. I'd eat some of the warm stuff now, and save the rest for tomorrow, or some other time I may not be able to get food. After I eat, I watch the waterfall until I fall asleep, gripping the token Annie had made me in my hand.

"I will come back home safe." I promise the token aloud, a vague message for Annie if they decided to air this.

* * *

(Annie POV)

That day I watched the games with Aegus at my house. I figured he wouldn't stop bugging me til I gave in. It was actually nice to have someone who also cared about Finnick to watch the games with.

Today didn't exactly seem like a good day for Finnick. A run in with a terrifying mutt, another run in with the careers. He really cut it close. Watching all this really took a toll on me. One minute he's fine and alive, the next he's on death's door. I wasn't sure how much longer of this I could take. It's only been a couple of days into the games, and I'm a mess.

Aegus seems okay though. I can tell he too worries for Finn, but not nearly as much as I do. If Finnick dies, all Aegus loses is a good friend. At the end of the day, he will still have a family to go home to. To me, Finnick is my everything. He's my family. If I lose him, I will have nothing.

Aegus and I are quiet for most of the games. But after each time Finnick gets away from a horror of the games, he says something encouraging like:

"See, he's smart." or "I knew he would get away!" It's nice, but I know he's only trying to comfort me, even if she didn't think he would get away. I have a hard time seeing Finnick win the games with a single knife, though it's better than the spear head he made before.

With luck, the other tributes will kill eachother off like they have been, and Finnick can win at some sort of freak accident, like the last career gets eaten by a mutt or something, and Finnick is left and declared winner. I know the odds like that aren't likely, but I have to hope somehow. Aegus speaks up now.

"See, he's got good sponsors. They won't let him starve...hey, maybe they'll even send him a good weapon! A trident would be perfect for him! Don't you think Annie?" I only nod lightly in response. Aegus looks at me, then at the screen as they show the careers. The girl from our district is sharpening a machete. I watch closely as District one's female tribute and the guy with the Axes from district seven show up at the career camp.

"Where's Lex?" Isabel asks, no longer sharpening her machete, not that it needed to be any sharper, from the looks of it, it could cut through flesh like butter.

"Dead." Crystal says with her arms crossed over her chest. "You're stupid little district partner killed him, kind of." Isabell raises her eyebrows in shock.

"Huh. Didn't know the pipsqueak had it in him." she said simply, crystal then marches up to her, and jabs her pointer finger at her.

"My district partner is dead because of him!" she says annoyed. "He was one of the best of us...well, except me of course." she said before flipping her blonde hair behind her. These career girls seemed vicious, I hoped that Finnick wouldn't underestimate them. I listened to them talk more, wondering if they planned on seeking out Finnick in revenge for their fallen ally.

"Well, if we kill everyone else, you would have had to kill him anyways." she shrugs and grabs an apple from the pile of them. The careers had so many supplies. So much food, they didn't even need sponsors, or to hunt, or anything. But that's how it is every year. Isabell and Crystal bicker on longer, and they cut to some other tributes who seeked refuge in trees.

"Kinda smart how Finnick tricked those careers, huh?" Aegus says, and I look over t him. "Erm...I guess so. But I just wish he was more careful. If he just stayed in that tree a little longer…" I trail off and Aegus shrugs at me.

"True, but now he knows not to do that. And if he hadn't that district one male tribute would still be alive. Who knows, he could have killed him another time." I nod slightly, and look at the television.

"I mean, Finn should get use to killing people anyways...right?" I let his question hang in the air. Finnick is not a killer. He's just a boy. He's the nicest boy in district four, at least to me...How could he ever manage to kill anyone?

"Right." I say to Aegus, despite I knew killing would be difficult for Finnick. I then see Finnick hold onto the seashell on the necklace I made him. He promised he'd return home to me. And I believe it.

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Author's note: What did you guys think? Who do you think will die next? Again, Sorry I took so long to update, things have just been crazy haha. Anywho, as always, Thank you guys for favoriting and reviewing this story! It lets me know you guys haven't grown bored of this yet! Haha.


	17. Chapter 17: Mangos

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 17: Mangos**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

That morning I got up early, Did a lap around my half of the island, making sure to walk on the shore and letting the waves cover my tracks. I had the container and small parachute tied to my belt, and my knife in hand. After making sure no one was on the beach, I made my way back into the jungle, I lost my old net, and would have to make a new one, no matter, the old one was unraveling anyways.

After I got more than enough vines, I put them over my shoulder and climbed a tree. After I settled on a branch that was big enough to carry my weight, I began to weave the net. Halfway through my stomach growled, so I got the container still attached to the parachute on my belt, and pulled out a roll that was sent to me yesterday. I snack on it as some movement in the trees across from me catches my eye.

Brown little creatures are running up the trunk of a tree. They're small, squirrels maybe? I put a hand over my eyes and squint. No, monkeys, small monkeys. I have never seen monkeys so small. They're running up a tree and grabbing some fruit. I think it's a mango. Whatever it is, it's orange, and a strange shape, and something we definitely don't have in District Four. I watch as the small monkeys grab the fruit and scurry away quickly. I figured it can't be poisonous if the monkey's eat it. After they're gone, and I've finished my roll, I decide to investigate. I gather up my stuff and climb down the tree, making my way over to the short three that had those fruits hanging off it. Some were green, others orange. The monkeys only got the orange ones though, So I assume those were the ones I'd wanna eat. I pick one.

It's smooth. I take my knife and peel back the skin. I cut some more of the orangey insides and taste it. It's so DELICIOUS! I eat more and more, until I've made it to the big seed inside the fruit. I tossed the pit aside. It was messy, but it was the best fruit I had ever tasted. I pick some more mangos, and pile them on the ground near the base of the tree. I leaned against it as well, and looked around me. All I could hear were the creatures that lurked in the jungle, no other tributes, no danger...so far at least.

I finish weaving the net, and toss the mangos in it, for easy carrying. It's day three, and I've still considered the cave my spot. I knew staying in the same spot was risky, but the cave was too nice of a place to abandon. Perhaps today I'll find another space, and only go to the cave when I need to hide from another tribute, or the harsh weather. The sun was really beating down on me every time I left the cave, which was fine, I'm use to being in the sun all the time, but the air was just so humid out here.

I go back to the cave and that's when I see shoes on a rock, and and small back pack that can't be holding much. These aren't mine. I could turn around and find a new shelter before who ever is currently here spots me, that's when I hear a shrill scream and I drop my net of mangos and hold up. I've been spotted. It's a girl. She has freckles, and she looks like she' seen a ghost. She covers her mouth, as though to take back the scream. I hold my knife up still, ready to attack if needed. She didn't really look like too much of a threat though.

"I-I'll have you know, I did EXCELLENT in hand to hand combat in the training center! Y-You'd better leave!" She says, holding up her fitsts. Her hair was in a side pony tail, it was a copper color. She was so short. She looked a little younger than me. I tried to remain serious, but laughter slipped past my lips. She then pouts at me.

"Stop LAUGHING AT ME!" she yelled, and it made me laugh even more. She was just so small, it was funny to think that I'd die at her hands.

"Oh yeah? You're gonna kill me, huh?" I say, holding in my laughter. "I'm the one with a weapon here." I say looking at my knife. It wasn't the best weapon, but it would do, Could I really kill someone so defenseless. She pauses.

"Y...Yeah…" she said, her brown eyes locked on me. I lower my knife and put it in my belt.

"You don't sound so sure of yourself. Well, since you're gonna kill me anyways, you want some mangos?" I asked. I decided that she was not a threat to me at all. Though, I did see her and her district partner excell in the hand to hand combat part in the training center. Though, I could still easily take her. And she's gotta be pretty smart if she found my cave, while no other tribute has yet. She just raises her eyebrows at me.

"Really? She asks, then eyes the mangos that have fallen out of my net and are sprawled out all over the cave floor. I then heard her stomach growl loudly. "Fine." She says, then walks over to me cautiously and picks one up. "Alright, I won't kill you, as long as you don't kill me." she says simply and sits on a rock in the cave. I shrug then nod.

"Alright, deal." I put out my hand, and she looks at it for a while, then looks into my eyes before shaking it. I then sit on the floor and gather up the other mangos and put them back into my net.

"My name's Finnick by the way." I say, in case she didn't catch it from the reaping, and other things before the game, because I surely didn't catch hers. She chews on the tough skin of the mango for a bit, observing me before she says her own name.

"Dora. From District Five. You're from district Four." She said, chewing on the mango still. "I didn't really watch your interviews

because I was next, so I was kinda preoccupied with my turn, since I was right after you." She said, inspecting the mango now, then eating some more. I didn't remember her until now. But she sat between August and I. I stare at her for a bit.

"So, you're August's district partner." I say, and she nods. I'm a bit shocked to see her alive if I'm quite honest. Despite I hadn't seen her in the sky, I just kinda forgot her face somehow.

"Yep." she says, then looks up from the mango. "You sat with him sometimes at lunch in the training center, were you two gonna be allies?" she asks me and I just shrug, still sitting on the ground across from her.

"Not really...I mean he wanted to be...but I…" I trail off and look at the curtain of water that shielded us from the harsh sun and prying eyes outside. She just says 'Oh' Again, and we sit in silence.

"I'm not exactly looking for an ally...I just, don't wanna kill you." she looks up from her mango again, she's chewing silently as she listened to me.

"But I will if I gotta!" I exclaim. She just laughs at me.

"It's me who will be killing you. Don't worry, I won't when you're sleeping. If you're staying in MY cave, that is." She says glancing over at me, I raise your eyebrows.

"That's fine by me, but let's get one thing straight, this was MY cave, I've been here long before you. But, I'll let you keep it. Only because I know I can survive out there, you? Not so much." I lean back against the cool cave wall. She just rolls her eyes, and tells me whatever.

That night, we eat, sharing each other's food. We finish the last of the food my sponsors gave me the night before as well. She couldn't believe what I got. She said she hadn't gotten anything from her sponsors yet, if she had any. We watch the anthem play in the sky, more kids die, but none I had any particular interest in. It didn't really matter who anymore, because any deaths meant I was that much closer to home.

"Hey, three more tributes died, doesn't that make us in the final eight?" Dora blurted out, and I think for a moment, about all who have died the last few days. Nine in the bloodbath, four yesterday, today three.

"Huh...I suppose it does." I say, her face lights up, hopeful. probably thinking 'if I made it this long, I could win.' Final eight means some people from the capital will go to the remaining tribute's districts, and interview their family and friends. I hope they don't bother Annie. My parents, sure, but Annie was delicate, I don't think she could handle the questions they would ask her about me, I sigh softly, and watch Dora curl up in her corner of the cave.

I take the first watch. We didn't really establish that we were allies, and she did say she would kill me in the morning, but I doubt it. For now, we were sort of allies, I'd have to ditch her before the numbers get too low though. She is just a kid, I didn't wanna have to watch her die, or worse kill her.

She's in a deep sleep and I end up keeping watch all night, I didn't wanna wake her. I look out from behind the waterfall. The night's air is nice and cool, unlike the warm sticky air in the day. How many more days would I have to spend in this arena? I wondered to myself.

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Author's note: Thank you so much Malfoyravenclaw555, Mailani4ewa and Saltonwounds for reviewing! And yes there will be a sequel! It will start at Annie's reaping, and I'm pretty excited for it! Sorry again I took like a month to update, I promise I'll start to update more often! thanks for reading you guys! 3


	18. Chapter 18: The Final Eight

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 18: The Final Eight**

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 **(Annie P.O.V.)**

That morning I woke up even more tired than most. I wondered how long these games would last. Finnick has only been in that arena 3 days, four counting today, but it seemed like he's been gone so much longer. Last night it was announced that there's only eight tributes left. I should be thankful, because that's significantly less tributes I have to worry about trying to kill Finnick. Three days ago, he had to go up against 23 kids, and now only 7.

It was chilly this morning, so I throw on Finnick's old jacket again, his scent still lingering on it gave me some comfort. it was pretty big on me. I went into town that day to find Aegus. And boy, did I find him. He was nearly the center of attention in town. Microphones and cameras in his face. The camera crew and interviewers we all dressed so colorful. Like a bunch of tropical fish you would find near the coral reef.

I listened in to what Aegus was telling them, then heard an old man in town speak up in the background.

"The boy tribute? I see him in town all the time, he's always with some girl, a girlfriend I think!" The old man said in a raspy voice. It was true. Finn and I often sold him some fishing nets we make, he, like many in town, was a fisherman. I put up the hood of Finnick's jacket, in hopes that no one points me out as the girl seen hanging around the Capital's sweetheart. Aegus speaks up this time.

"Nah, he usually just hang out with me, if he had a girlfriend, I would know about it, though plenty of girls do like him, sometimes I envy his luck with the girls in our class." The interviewer's eat up everything Aegus says. They then ask him to point them in the direction of Finnick's home so they could interview his family. When they go, most of the crowd around them goes as well. After all the commotion in the town square quiets down, and everyone goes back to their business, as though it were just another day in District Four, Aegus finds me.

"Hey, Anne." He said and I wave with half a smile.

"Thanks for taking the spotlight, I don't think I would have done well if they questioned me." I admit to him, and he nods.

"Yeah, well. I figured so." He looks down at the hard asphalt beneath our feet. "I hope his parents do okay, I mean, it must be hard having your kid in the games and all, and then you have to give his life story and all." I just nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I think i'm gonna go visit them once those interviewers go back to the capital." I began to walk past some shops, Aegus walking around with me. Eventually, he walks me home, and I go to my room and wait til the evening, when the Capital people have left District Four for good. That's when I sneak past my Father, who's watching the interviewer's footage from today. They haven't yet started talking about the tributes, they were talking about their own fashion. I grabbed a bag of fancy cookies I traded the baker the other day, for one of my mother's old broaches, and head to Finnick's house. For just a moment, I feel as though it would be like any other night, I'd knock, and finnick would answer, but this time he wouldn't.

I knock on the door, and see his parents. They knew me pretty well I think, considering I was usually at their house more than my own at times. I cleared my throat lightly.

"Hi, Mrs. and Mr. Odair, I brought you some cookies." I say, holding up the bag for them to take. Finn's mother smiles sadly, and takes the bag of cookies.

"Thank you, that was very sweet of you, would you like to come in and watch the interviews with us?" She asked, and Mr. Odair just gave me a small silent smile, he was almost always silent, except when he talked about fishing. He was pretty nice from what I've seen. He even let Finnick and I use his boat one time. It was a small boat, but it worked for fishing enough for their family to survive on, and then some.

I go inside and glance at their television, They just barely arrived at district one. They then would interview their girl tribute's friend's and family. I sit on the couch next to the Odairs, and it feels...so very empty without Finnick besides us.

We watch and see how Crystal lives. She was probably the leader of the careers, now with her district partner dead. Her family have no doubts at all she will win, in fact, they look proud. It was nearly the same with both of district two's tributes. The cookies laid on the coffee table before us three, but none of us ate any. I could tell they as well as myself, wouldn't have our appetite's back until Finnick was home, safe.

Next was our district. The interviewers and crew arrives at the train station, soon after they cut to Aegus talking about how much they hang out in school and what not. All of which true, then they cut to the people sitting besides me. They briefly talk about when Finnick was a child, his favorite things to do. His job, fishing with his father in the early hours of the morning before school. How sometimes he would bring his friends over, meaning me, but not by name. They also ask if they think their child has any chance at winning, They looked at each other before answering, that they definitely did think he had a chance.

After Finnick, they move on to Isabell. I didn't see her at school too often. But she was quite a few years older than Finnick and myself. Her parents seemed just as distressed as the Odair's were about their child being in the games, but they were glad she was doing well.

Next, they interviewed that District Five girl, the one in the cave with Finnick, I was rather curious about her. She had a relatively normal life from the looks of it. Her family didn't seem too hopeful for her safe return, she was kind of small, and young, But I'm sure Finnick would protect her...for as long as he could, I'm sure. I suddenly felt bad, if she had died at Finnick's hands, how terrible her family would feel. Her big brother wouldn't even say a word to the interviewers. As they began to talk about District Seven's male tribute, Mrs. Odair turns her attention to me.

"How come they didn't interview you, for Finnick? I mean, you are his best friend, all he ever talks about is you." I tried not to blush at the thought of Finnick only ever talking about me to his parents. But it was true, I was the closest to Finnick.

"I don't know, I just...it's a lot of pressure. As I'm sure the both of you know…" I trail off, and she nods.

"Yeah, I get what you mean, Sweetie." she gives me a warm side hug. I grew up without knowing my mother, since she died when I was very young, but I had always imagined her to be much like Finnick's mom.

After they interview the last tribute, who was from District ten, and son of a Butcher, I decide to go home. The Odair's offer to walk me home, but I refuse. They thank me for the cookies, and I walk home alone in the dark. I thought about the competition Finnick had. Four careers, five if you count the kid from district seven, The girl from five, and the boy from ten. The boy from ten had no trouble, he's already killed a handful of other tributes, I assume he's use to the sight of blood, being the son of a butcher and all. The competition seemed tough, aside from the girl he was with now, in fact, she would probably be next to go, unless if the careers decided to turn on each other already.

I continued to hope for the best, despite all my worries were not yet over.

Author's note: Hey guys! Sorry I took a few months to update, things happened, got sick, but I'm better now, and will update regularly! And I've already started to write the sequel, which I'm pretty excited for! If no one is reading this, then I might not continue to update, and just move on to the next story, so please let me know in the reviews if you're still around, and reading this story! Even if it's just one of you out there! I really appreciate it! 3 And Happy Halloween everyone!


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 19: The Trident**

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 **(Finnick P.O.V.)**

Dora left me with a note carved into a leave. "I let you live, for now!" with a smile face. I smirk at it sadly. I kind of wish she would stay, but it was for the best after all, I'd hate to end up with us being the last two.

I yawn as I get up. Luckily, Dora didn't steal anything from me when she left. I still have my makeshift spear, my net, and the container, now empty of food my sponsor's had sent me the other night. They didn't send me anything last night, I guess they didn't really want me to share with an ally, which meant no allies, not that I had planned to have any, anyways. Not to mention, anyone I even considered as an ally, died, or left. Maybe it was better I was alone. That way I could only think of winning.

After gathering all my things, I tie the net and container to my belt, and cautiously head to the beach. It was hot today, like all the others. By the time I make it to the tide, my body is covered in a layer of sweat. I unzip my tunic and tie the arms around my waist, keeping the lower half of it on, of course. I dive into the water with my spear and swim far out. The further out I swam, the bigger the fish.

After a while, I catch two large fish. I'm not sure what kind they are exactly, they were rather strange, but no signs of poisonous. I swim back to the shore with the fish on my spear. Once I make it to the sand, I almost forget I'm in the games, and look around for Annie, sitting on the shore, waiting for me. But, of course she isn't there. Of course, no one is there, and the town of District Four isn't there waiting for me just past the beach, the jungle is, a jungle full of horrors, beastly muttations, and even more horrid tributes, who can kill without blinking an eye.

I thought about making a fire in the jungle, but I prefer the beach, besides, the beach was much further from the careers than the jungle surrounding the cornucopia. I'd make the fire, cook the fish just barely enough to eat, then make a break for my cave. Not that I was scared of the other tributes, but I'd prefer for them to all kill each other off, as they have been, until I have to make my kill. I'd have to kill someone eventually. I already got that boy from District one killed, though, you could technically count it as an accident. Could I really be capable of killing someone though? I never thought I'd be in this kind of predicament.

I pile up some drift wood, and start a fire. Much like I would in my fireplace, for Annie and my family on a cold winter night. Only, this wasn't my fire place, and it wasn't a cold winter night, it was a hot day in the arena. I pull off the knife from the end of my spear, and hold the fish over the fire. I keep watch for anyone who could approach me, any jungle cats, monkeys, tributes, or whatever else that jungle was hiding.

When the fish look done, I hurry up and stomp out the fire, and head back to the cave quickly. I look around to make sure no one is watching me, and go through the waterfall, and look around for Dora, perhaps she could have come back. I could not hide my disappointment on my face when I see that dora had not come back. That freckled face kid could be gone forever.

I sit in peace when I eat my fish, that is, until I hear a canon outside. BOOM. someone died. That leaves seven of us. Only six tributes standing in my way of home. I wondered who it was. To my knowledge, it was mostly careers left. Well, The careers, Dora and myself, maybe one other tribute, but I couldn't remember who. When I get started on my second fish, I try to remember all who were left, definately seven with that canon going off. But who EXACTLY were the seven? I wondered.

I walk up to a cave wall, and grab a rock, and scratch on the number "1" on the wall. "Crystal from District one." I say aloud, having seen the boy from one died, I knew he was dead. "Both from two." I mumble, and write the number "2" twice. I think, remembering seeing District three's tributes in the sky. That leaves my district. I haven't yet seen Isabell in the sky, she's alive for sure. I write the number "4" Twice. Then I write a "5" For Dora. I chew on my lower lip, thinking. Oh, the kid with the axe! I write down the number "7" And stare at them, there was one more kid, I had counted correctly, but which tribute was it? I couldn't remember. "Hmm…" I say aloud, taking another bite of my fish. That's when I write a question mark. "?" For the other living tribute.

For a while, I stand and stare at the numbers, then say them aloud. "One, two,...four, five...Seven, and…" My eyes look at the questionmark. I really sure have paid attention to all the tributes in the interviews, but I didn't. Five careers, and three tributes, possibly two, depending on who just died.

I save the rest of my fish in the container from my sponsor's the night before. I lean against the rock, which was moist from the waterfall neat it, keeping me cool, while I watch the sky, wondering who died. As always, the anthem played, and I see a familiar face in the sky. Dora's. I feel sick when I see it. If she had just stayed in the cave, she would be safe. And if I didn't win, I kinda wished she would, not that is was likely. She was kind of next to die anyways. After her, it would probably be me, and then the careers would battle it out against each other. I think about this for a while. If I'm the next weakest, or even youngest, that means the career's will be looking for me now. I go back to the wall with all the numbers, and cross out the number "5" painfully slow. I do wish she hadn't died. But it's better someone else killed her, and not myself...I stroke my face with my right hand, where what facial hair I did have would have grown in by now, weirdly enough it hadn't, I wondered what exactly my stylists used on my face that made it stay away.

If I only had some sort of weapon, to defend myself.. I look at the knife in my hand. I couldn't take on six other people with just a knife, mostly careers at that. I sigh, and that's when I see something fall to the ground slowly, outside the cave, the image muddled by the wall of water. I go through the waterfall again, to peek my head out. It's a rather large box with a white parachute.

I approach it with my eyebrows furrowed. Obviously a gift from my sponsors. But, it was a rather large box. What could it be? A feast perhaps? Some other supplies. I take the box into the cave, and open it right away, inside is the second most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The first being my Annie, of course. But this, it shone like a fiery sunset, disappearing into the horizon.

It was my trident.

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Author's note: What'd you think of this chapter? Kind of short, I know. Also, thank you so much, Weesie pie for the review! I'm glad you're still reading! And I shall keep up with the story! RIP Dora! 7 tributes left! Who do you think will die next?


	20. Chapter 20: Green

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 20: Green**

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 **(Annie P.O.V.)**

That night, not only did they send me a trident, the key to my survival, but they also sent me a feast fit for a king. I feasted as much as my stomach could hold, then put the rest away for later. That night, I slept with the trident in my hand. I'd be a fool if I were to ever let it from my sight. The only way it would be taken from me now, is if another tribute pry it from my dead hands, which is in fact a possibility, in this hell I've been living in.

I drift off with a full belly, only to be waken a few hours later by a loud boom. I jump up to my feet, trident in hand. It was a Canon. I look around the cave. Another dead. Already? That just leaves...the careers and myself, unless if whatever other tribute was left killed a career, but how likely was that? I slip on my shoes as well as the belt, already with my knife tied to it with a vine, as well as a container filled with leftover food from the night before, and the net I had woven.

It was time to leave the safety of the cave. It has served me well since the beginning of the game, but now that the careers would be looking for me, and me only, the cave would trap me like a crustacean in a lobster trap. Dora herself did find it rather easily. Dora. Another reason to move on from the cave, it reminded me too much of Dora. Suddenly, I am struck with images of her, alive and well in the cave threatening to kill me one minute, the next dead.

I poke my head out the waterfall. The cool water feels good on my skin. The waterfall had given so much to me. Hidden me from the others. Kept me cool in this humid climate. Provided fresh water when I needed it.

But none of that was worth staying put and getting cornered. Besides, I had sponsors that seemed more than generous, I'm sure they won't let me go thirsty.

I leave the waterfall, and walk through the forest, still dark out, but the Sun would be out in a few hours. Perhaps leaving now was not wise, someone did kill someone else close to here after all. After I find a part of the forest that was relatively quiet, other than some bugs and creatures here and there, I CLIMB the largest tree.

This tree was a lot larger than the one in Annie's yard. But it was no harder to climb. Once I find a nice large branch, I sit. This way, I could be hidden from view, and see below me. If any tribute were to walk below me, my trident would take care of them.

I lean against the tree, and watch the dark green vines sway around myself and the tree. I wondered if I would be able to weave a net out of them. I look at my free hand. No. If I were Annie, maybe. She was a lot quicker at weaving nets and stuff than I was.

I look up at all the different shades of green above me in the tree top, and wonder why I didn't do this before? The shades of green were quite relaxing. Most would guess blue is my favorite color, I assume because I'm from district four. I think about all that I wore in my time in the capital. Everything a different shade of blue.

Blue is a nice color, and yes it does remind me of my home, district four, but green? Green will always remind me of Annie's eyes. Nothing could make me feel more at home than getting lost in her green beautiful orbs, one would call eyes.

Birds began chirping, the higher the Sun got in the sky, the louder the birds around me chirped. They were all very vibrant, one would call the colors beautiful or exotic, but to me, their colors just reminded me of tacky capital people.

I swing a leg off the branch and glance down. It would be a long fall if I fell. As I was looking down, I felt something hit my head.

"Ow!" I say before glancing up to see some bird squawking away, picking some sort of fruit, or flower bud from the tree with its long beak, and tossing them down on my head.

As I was distracted with the bird, I heard storming, and leaves crunching under each thud on the ground. Someone was coming. I ready my net and trident. I could easily throw the net at someone to distract them, and slip this trident right through them like butter. It didn't matter who it was now, I had no friends in this arena, and it's better them, than me.

I'm shocked at who it is I see running. It's the guy from district seven, the one who had the ax, the one who I tricked into killing that District one career.

He looks around before running off again, giving me a wave of Déjà vu. I'm not gonna be stupid like last time, and jump down. I'm gonna stay in this tree, hidden from their view, and wait it out.

Less than a minute later, I see a guy with brown hair. He was district two, I think. He had blood smeared all over his arms. It obviously was not his own. Probably the blood of whoever died early this morning. He's running in the direction the ax kid went.

I wondered if they were both running from something, or perhaps if two was running after seven. I wonder which would be most likely. Technically, the axe kid did kill the boy from district one. Did the careers kick him out once crystal told them all how he killed one of their own?

I glance down again. Or maybe...that giant cat was after them. That could just as likely be why they are running in the same direction, if that were the case, it would do me some good to run as well.

I decide to stay put, stay silent and still, until the coast was clear of all signs of life.

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Author's note: Sorry my chapters keep getting shorter, I keep cutting chapters in half haha. Next, is Annie P.O.V. (I might post that tonight, or tomorrow.) We get to see what her father is like hungover! Yay? haha. Let me know in the reviews if you like me cutting the chapters in half into small chapters, or if you would prefer the whole chapter. Thank you guys for the reviews! 3


	21. Chapter 21: Parents

**Disclaimer: I do not own the hunger games series, nor characters portrayed in it, all credit goes to Suzanne Collins.**

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 **Chapter 21: Parents**

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 **(Annie P.O.V.)**

Though it was morning, our curtains were drawn shut, as usual. The television light was the only light to illuminate the room. My father and I sit next to one another on the couch in silence. Before the games, my father had bet a lot of money, to some other men in town, that Finnick would die in the bloodbath on day one, Finnick was now in the final six. You can imagine how mad he must be about all his bettings lost.

I watched the television as it cut to the careers. They were talking about Finn and the boy from district ten who were the only non careers now. They scolded themselves for not looking for Those two sooner and taking them out.

The girl from district one wanted the boy from district seven killed for killing her district partner. The other careers disagreed and said they wanted to keep him for a while, but once they killed Finnick, and the boy from district ten, he was all hers.

That earned the cameras an evil smirk from her, that I know will haunt my dreams when I sleep tonight. Later into the night, the girl from district two had a disagreement with the boy with the ax, he killed her when he lost his temper, and that was it for him. I watched as the victim's district partner ran after the guy with the ax like a cheetah. He was rather muscular. More like a bull than a cheetah. I wondered of Finnick's was the one running, if he could outrun him. Finnick's was really fit, but he was a lot shorter than him. Who knows what would happen.

I almost felt bad for the girl from district two's death. When she died, her body was thrown and caught by her district partner. He got her blood all over him. I was always a bit squeamish with blood. I'm not sure how well I would do if I were him, in that situation, then again, he seemed to have no problems with killing thus far.

They're running and the television cuts to finnick's reaction to them running past his tree. I let out a sigh of relief that they hadn't seen him.

My father was watching the games, seemed a little too into it... He wasn't drunk for once, but he was pretty hungover. I kind of wished he was passed out though, so I could watch the games without someone watching me, or criticizing Finn. My father grunts when the camera is on the two boys running again. I look over at him.

"What?" I ask him, curious. Perhaps he was glad Finnick's wasn't spotted. Perhaps he did like him just a little after all. My father rubs his forehead, still looking at the television.

"I had hoped your _friend_ woulda been spotted." I stare at him for a long time, then clear my throat before replying.

"You don't want Finnick to actually die, do you?" I ask, with a disturbed look on my face. I know he had betted on his life before, but I had guessed that was because Finn was so young, not because he actually wanted him dead. My father just shrugged in reply.

"Well. I don't see why not. He's a waste of life. He's just living off his parents fishing business. He always hangs around you. Like you're HIS property. You're MY daughter, damn it! If he dies, then I don't have to see his smug face around here anymore. He's too young to win anyways. Fourteen yearolds NEVER win." he grumbles again, continuing to watch. That's when I hear a loud smack, my jaw drops in horror when I see my hand shaking in front of me, and his cheek red.

I slapped him. I hadn't even realized what I had done, until it was too late to take back. My hand stung like I had been stung by a jellyfish. I watch as my father opens his mouth to speak, I book it up the stairs to my room before he could get up to punish me.

I move my vanity filled with my mothers belongings in front of my door,hoping it would stall him for at least a moment longer, and head to the window. In minutes my father is banging on the door. "ANNIE. YOU OPEN THIS DOOR. RIGHT NOW!" his yells were more like roars from a horrible beast.

"NO!" I scream back, and He's still yelling my name and throwing around curse each bang on the door, My nerves are on end. I grab the one thing in my room I needed, Finn's jacket, and climb out the window. If I fell down, I'd break my arm for sure. I hadn't climbed down this window before, I tried to be as careful as I could. I was barefooted too. I look down at my feet, from the window I can hear my father almost breaking down the door. I jump and grab onto the tree, and carefully climb down it. My arms and legs are shaking in panic. Once I make it down the tree, my foot slips and I fall, skinning my knee on the harsh bark of the tree. I'm inspecting my knee when I hear the wood of my bedroom door crack and his stomping in my room. I get up quickly, not even bothering to brush the leaves off me, I run as far from my house as I can. I can still hear my father shouting My name from my bedroom window.

The only place I could think of to go, is town square, because I want to watch the games, well, I don't WANT to, but I have to. Not only is it required by law to watch, but also, I needed to know Finnick's was okay. Every moment I took my eyes off a screen, something could happen to him. I'm standing in town square, and put up Finnick's hood on my head.

I hope and pray, with all my soul, that my father doesn't come to find me in town to drag me back home.

Suddenly, as I'm watching the games, I feel a hand on my shoulder, a desperate grip to it, my heart starts racing again, He's found me... I turn around quickly, ready to run from my father, when instead I see Finnick's father standing before me, instead of my own.

"Oh…" I sigh and relax a bit, but not much. "Hello, Mister Odair." I say, and he looks at me, a bit shocked to see me.

"Oh…" he says as well. He clears his throat. "Sorry...I...recognized the jacket, for a moment there, I thought you were Finnick." He explains. Which is probably why he gripped my shoulder son tightly before.

He knew Finnick's was in the game, but thought he saw him. I feel awful. I see Finnick's in everything too. He expected to see his son here in this jacket, just like when I knocked on their door the other day, I expected to see Finn too. I swallow before I talk. My throat felt dry.

"Oh...sorry." I take off the jacket quickly and hand it to him. I was shaking. Not from the cold, but still a bit jumbled from my fight with my father. Mr. Odair stares at me for a while, not taking the jacket I am trying to hand him. I probably look crazy. Skinned knee, leaves in my hair, my whole body shaking, My feet bare.

"No, you keep it. Finn would have wanted it that way." He says still looking at me. I slip it back on as he speaks again.

"You're shaking. Would you like to come over to watch the games? Sit by the fire and warm up?" He asks and I nod and follow him to the Odair household.

I was glad to be someplace my father wouldn't look. He would probably assume if Finn is not here, I wouldn't be in his house either. Not to mention, he cares very much about what others think of him, he wouldn't want to drag me out of the Odair's house by my hair, I don't think Finnick's parents would approve of him doing so either.

Finn's mother was glad as always to see me, as always. We were all happy to see that Finnick hadn't got into anymore trouble in the games, and got to live another day. Mrs. Odair gave me some warm socks to wear, and some tea. The tea did wonders in soothing my throat, and making me instantly warm, as well as the fire crackling in the fireplace. I thanked both her profoundly and her husband's kindness. The Odair's let me sleep on the couch, They knew a bit about what my father was like, hearing from Finnick, I suppose...But I didn't ask how much Finnick had told them.

Maybe I was just comfortable for once, maybe it was simply being closer to Finn's parents made me feel closer to Finn, or maybe my body just gave out finally from exhaustion. All I know is, That was perhaps the only night I had gotten more than a few hours sleep since the day Finnick was reaped.

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Author's note: How did you guys like this chapter? I eventually need to go back and fix all my typos in the story, haha. leave me a review and let me know what you think! And I'll start positing full chapters from now on, instead of splitting them in half! Thank you Guest, Coolerthancool99, and Weesie pie for the reviews! I really appreciate them and they motivate me! Thanks for reading you guys!


	22. Author's note!

**Author's note:**

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Hi guys! Sorry I haven't updated in November, but I will really really soon. To those 12 who followed and Favorited the story/me, thank you so much, and I'm so glad you like the story! And thank you: Ashxa15112, doraviolet1, Thornthief27, robotters13, Saltonwounds, urstory, the100forever24, DaughterOfAthena2004, Mailani4ewa, malfoyravenclaw555, Weesie pie, coolerthancool99, And Guests for reviewing! I really do appreciate your input, and it lets me know you're still reading! Sorry I haven't updated in quite some time, but I will update more often because I love writing this story, But first I'm gonna go back and fix all the typos and stuff. I hope that all of you still reading will continue to do so, thank you all for reading!

P.S.! I made a video last December, for Finnick and Annie, with Gabbie Hanna's song "Out loud", As soon as I heard it, I thought of Finnick and Annie, so if you wanna watch it, that would be awesome! I worked really hard on it. Thank you guys!

LINK: watch?v=tlszJxu_BPQ

Thanks guys! See ya soon!


	23. Another Author's Note! (Sorry)

Hey guys, I'm sorry I haven't updated in like a year (Time flies.) Also, my computer is broken, so I'll update as soon as my computer is fixed, if y'all are still around, Sorry! have a nice day!


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